450 Dr. Bancroft on the Sea-Devil of Jamaica. 



and measured -fg-ths by -j%ths of an inch, had its long axis placed ver- 

 tically. The pupil conformed to the iris, and was -i%\h% of an inch in 

 length. I did not observe any nictitating membrane, in wanting which 

 it also differs from the Rays. The spiracles stood nine inches in nearly 

 a straight line behind the eyes, and were of an oval form above ; the 

 lower portion extended two or three inches towards the edge of the 

 thorax, and was covered with a valve. The 0})enings of the branchiae, 

 or gills, were, as usual, placed transversely on the under surface of 

 the thorax, five on each side, the anterior pair were thirteen 

 inches distant from the mouth, eighteen inches from each other, 

 and eighteen inches in length, and the posterior pair were thirty-four 

 inches distant from the mouth, only nine inches from each other, and 

 twelve inches long ; the intermediate pairs lying from four to five inches 

 behind one another, and varying as to their respective lengths and dis- 

 tances across the thorax in nearly regular gradations between the propor- 

 tions as above stated of the first and last pairs. 



The skin of this fish was smooth, as it is termed, that is without thorns 

 or tubercles, but like that of various species of Shark; it was thickly 

 studded over the under, as well as the upper, surface with hard granules 

 of roundish, square, or polygonal, shapes, flattened and slightly hooked 

 at top, the minute points of which, when examined by a lens, were 

 found to be all bent in the same direction, causing the skin to feel rough, 

 when the finger vs^as passed over them in the contrary direction. The 

 granules on the tail were larger and rougher than upon the rest of the 

 body. The colour was a brownish black over the back ; changing into a 

 dark grey over the pectoral fins, which became lighter towards their an- 

 terior edges and on the side of the thorax and eyes. On the morning 

 after it was killed the back was covered with a very viscid humour, of the 

 colour of pitch, which had oozed out during the night, as the skin was 

 clear of it the evening before. On the under surface of the body the 

 skin was generally very white, but over the abdomen were several spots 

 of irregular shapes and sizes, of which two or three, very small, were of a 

 light blue colour, and the rest of a bluish grey varying among themselves 

 in depth of shade. The middle and posterior portions of the pectoral 

 fins were also bluish grey, deepest along the middle. The frontal flap- 

 pers were also white, except at their inner and anterior edge, which was 



