37 



ALOPECIAS. 



Tnis is a germs established by Miiller and Hcnle, and described as 

 with a pointed, conic head, very small spiracles, small gill openings, 

 and simple triangular teeth, but particularly marked by a very great 

 extension of the tail. It is the genus Alopias of Rafinesque and 

 Swainson; but the latter writers had overlooked the very small spiracles. 



THRASHER. 



SEA FOX. FOX SHARK. SEA APE, 



Carcharias vulpes, Cuviee. Fleming ; p. 167. 



Vulpecula marina, Jonston; p. 27. 



Vulpes marina, Willoughby; p. 54, Tab. B. 6, the figure 



tolerably correct, except in the tail. 



Squalus vulpes, Jenyns; p. 498. 



" " Yaerell; British Fishes, vol. ii., p. 522. 



Squale Benard, Lacepede and Risso; Ichth., p. 36. 



" " Gkay ; Catalogue of British Museum, p. 130 



This fish has obtained the name of Fox Shark becanse of 

 its tail, which, like that of its namesake of the land, is a prin- 

 cipal portion of its distinctive character. But the ancient Greeks 

 and Romans, who were well acquainted with the fish, were not 

 content with finding in it nothing more than this likeness of 

 analogy; and therefore they went on to draw the conclusion 

 ^ that a fish answering to this name must of necessity be endowed 

 with the other distinguishing portions of the foxine character. 



This fish is not recognised in the tenth edition of the System 

 of Linngeus, but it is the Squalus vulpes of Turton's Linnaeus. 



The Thrasher, or Sea Fox, is so very rarely taken on a line, 

 that no instance of it has come within my knowledge; but the 

 reason of this probably amounts to no more than that fishermen 

 do not employ the bait that tempts its appetite. jElian, how- 



