136 Transactions. — Zoology. 



took steps to secure the skin for stuffing, and, in the course of 

 removing the skin, the men who did the work cut the greater 

 part of the body to pieces, and the}' brought me some very 

 curious teeth which they obtained a considerable distance down 

 the throat, and, as far as I can learn, immediately between the 

 branchial openings. The teeth were about one inch in length, 

 the upper portion slightly curved, longitudinally striated, and 

 gradually diminishing in diameter from the base to a sharp 

 point. There were three rows of these teeth on each side of the 

 pharynx, and the numbers may be expressed thus : 7, 9, 6, and 

 8, 9, 6. Three of these teeth are clearly accidental, one on the 

 first row of the one side, and two on the first row of the other 

 side, thus leaving the formula 6, 9, and 6, 9, 6. The teeth 

 are immovably fixed in solid cartilage, and when fresh there was 

 between each row a thick fleshy gum or pad, which nearly 

 covered the teeth. 



Pharyngeal teeth are not uncommon in fishes, but I have 

 not been able to find any mention of them in the Sun-Fish or 

 other Gymnodunts. Another observation may, perhaps, be inte- 

 resting. When I examined this fish on the beach, the surface 

 of both jaws was covered with a kind of enamel, and felt per- 

 fectly smooth to the touch. When I received the skin, and had 

 leisure to examine it closely, I found that rough handling, owing 

 to the huge size and weight, had caused the enamel to scale off, 

 and had left the jaws, which were now rough, presenting a surface 

 resembling the shagreen of the dermal papilla? ; but at the back 

 edge of both upper and lower jaws were the original teeth of the 

 fish, in size and shape much resembling grains of rice. These. 

 I find from books, are serviceable in the earlier life of the fish, 

 but when it attains a large size, these are absorbed (or are said 

 to be). They seem, however, to be simply left behind by the 

 growth of a broad horizontal layer of calcified tissue, which is 

 covered on the top with a thin coat of enamel. 



The great size of this specimen, 8 feet li inches in length, 

 and 5 feet 6 inches in depth, not including the dorsal and anal 

 fins, would probably indicate an advanced age. The bony osselets, 

 which are said to carry a spine in young specimens, were pre- 

 sent, but their presence could not be detected in the living state. 

 They were about the size of a duck egg. 



Postscript. — A specimen of the Spinous Shark (Echinorhimu 

 spinosus) has been captured in Hawke's Bay this month (Sep- 

 tember. 1885) ; it has been previously recorded in New Zealand 

 waters by Prof. Parker, " Trans. N. Z. Inst.," vol. xvi., p. 280. 



