6 ON THE APPENDICES GENITALES (CLASPERS) IN THE GREENLAND SHARK. 



hope of being able to give a good account of the structure of these organs, and must be content to 

 give informations of the external copulatory organs. 



The whole Shark was about 8 ft. (2 m 50 cm ) in length, and its ventrals, as also their appendages, 

 were smaller than any of the other cut off ventrals and their appendages, which latter were also 

 much more developed; unfortunately no statement of the length of the respective animals was given. 

 But if we start from the supposition, which I think most likely, that the ventral proper grows in pro- 

 portion to the animal itself, we can with some certainty calculate the size of the animals, to which 

 the cut off fins have belonged; and judged by that they have all been large animals between 3 and 

 5 metres, the largest at all events upwards of 6 ells (Danish). 



I am not able to decide with perfect certainty, if an}- of the obtained ventrals have the appen- 

 dage so large and developed, as it possibly can be; but at all events these organs are so far developed 

 in the largest specimens that they will scarcely change their structure in any considerable degree, 

 even if they become somewhat longer. In the largest fins the free end of the copulatory organ 

 reaches about 5 cm farther back than the point of the fin-membrane itself; in the somewhat smaller 

 ones 3 — 4 cm , and in two a little smaller still about i cln behind the point of the fin. In the smallest 

 specimen finally (the above mentioned animal 2 m 50 cm long) the' point of the ventral on the contrary 

 reaches 2 — 3 cm farther back than the point of the appendage. Between this last specimen and the 

 immediately preceding the above mentioned specimen of the museum (which however is partly skele- 

 tonized) may be placed with regard to size and development. Here accordingly we have a series 

 showing the stages in the growth of these organs, well known from the other Sharks, from small 

 short rudiments, shorter than the ventral itself, to a more or less considerable length beyond the 

 inner edge of the ventral. Thus every idea of the Greenland Shark differing from other Sharks in 

 only possessing rudimentary ventral appendages must be dropped. 



About the remaining external features of the organ I shall confine myself to state, that its 

 whole dorsal surface (i. e. the surface which in the natural position is in contact with the ventral 

 side of the body) as well as the adjoining part of the fin itself is quite naked and smooth without 

 dermal teeth, which is also the case with the medial surface, where those of the same pair are in 

 contact, while the ventral surface (as in the remainder of the fin) is clothed with dermal teeth, 

 however more sparsely and sparingly towards the point, the outermost part of which is naked and 

 quite soft. Otherwise these organs are in their developed state stiff and hard 011 account of the 

 strong internal skeleton. On the lateral side of the end is felt through the skin a particularly hard 

 and movable part of the skeleton, and in most of the specimens this part is naked and appears as 

 a pointed, polished thorn or spine. I can however assert with certainty that in all the specimens, 

 I have brought home, it has only been laid bare by the skin on the spot being torn; it is also seen 

 cpiite covered in the right clasper of one of the largest specimens. I suppose, however, that before 

 the member comes into function, or at the function, this spine is uncovered; in fully developed 

 appendages of Acanthias and Spinax at all events both the corresponding part and one or two more 

 pails of the skeleton protrude naked, uncovered by the integument; and in the circumstance that in 

 all these tins the spine surely only has been set free by damage or by bad preservation, I find 

 a positive intimation of their appendages not yet having reached their greatest development. This 



