lol Gudgei — Notes on Some Beaufort, N. C, fishes. 



These three large eases differ in yet another way from the small ones. 

 The side pieces of the " barrow " in the small eases are of the same thick- 

 ness and appearance throughout, being hardly distinguishable from the 

 body walls of the shells. This is not the case in the large " purses. " If 

 the side bars be divided into |s, then the % lying at each end is found to 

 be no thicker than the back edge of an ordinary table knife, the middle 

 7s however gradually thickens from each end toward the center, and in 

 the region of the transverse diameter of the case is \ to {;-, of an inch 

 thick. This is true for both side pieces for all three egg-cases. Each side 

 piece is slightly concave from top to bottom (the shell being placed in a 

 horizontal position) and has running lengthwise in its center a raphe or 

 line of junction. Waite (1909) describes the egg-case of a carpet-shark, 

 Cephaloscyllium laticeps Dum, in which the egg-case had similar lateral 

 thickenings :; mm. thick. However, what is probably the largest case 

 ever found is referred to by Alcock (1901). It was dredged from 824 

 fathoms off the southern coast of India. This case was (U inches long by 

 4J wide and contained an embryo too young for identification. 



It is not known by what elasmobranchs these large Beaufort egg-cases 

 are laid. The only selachians found in this part of the Atlantic which 

 might have set free these shells are, so far as the writer knows, the 

 Scylliorhinidae or cat sharks. These sharks are said to have large egg- 

 cases with hollow tentacles, and the cases above described clearly fit this 

 description. Catulus retifer has been taken off Cape Lookout, and 

 Scylliorhinus pro/undorum off the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. 



Literature Cited. 



1871. Agassiz, Louis. Oral communication. Proceedings Boston Society 

 of Natural History, vol. 14, 1870-71; pp. 339-40. 



1890. Alcock, A. W. Observations on the Gestation of Some Sharks and 

 Rays. Natural History Notes No. 14, from H. M.'s Indian 

 Marine Survey Steamer Investigator, Commander Alfred Carpen- 

 ter Commanding. Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal, vol. LIX, 

 pt. II, pp. 51-56, PI. I. 



L892. Alcock, A. W. On Utero-gestation in Trygon bleekeri. Natural 

 History Notes No. 3, from II. M.'s Indian Marine Survey 

 Steamer Investigator, Commander R. F. Haskyn, R. N., Com- 

 manding. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Ser. 6; 

 vol. IX, p. 417; pi. XIX, figs. 1-2-:;. 



1901. Alcock, A. W. Zoological Gleanings from the Royal Indian Marine 

 Survey Ship Investigator. Scientific Memoirs by Medical Officers 

 of the Army of India. Part 12. 



18.32. Bleeker, Peter. Bijdrage tot de Kenniss der Plagiostomen van 

 den Indischen Archipel. Verhandlingen van bet Bataviaasch 

 Genootschap van Kunsten en Wettenschappen. Deel XXIV, 

 pp. 81-88. 



