98 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 



Carcharias littoralis (Mitchill). 

 SAND-BAR SHARK. 



This shark, not very common at the Cape, is rare in the Sounds, so 

 much so that although I have sought for it, I have never yet seen a speci- 

 men to know it as such. Coles on July 9 took a male 7 feet 6 inches long 

 at the Cape. He states that he has occasionally taken them there with 

 the lance. The above specimen does not seem to have been full grown, 

 for according to Smith (1907) two 9-foot specimens were collected by 

 H. H. Brimley at Beaufort in 1900, and in April, 1904, another of about 

 the same size was taken at the Cape. 



Squalus acanthias Linnaeus. 



PICKED DOG-FISH; "BONE SHARK." 



The third recorded taking of this shark in the waters of North Carolina 

 is by Mr. Coles, who hooked a specimen in 6 fathoms of water off the 

 rocks of New River Inlet in January, 1912. For previous records see my 

 " Notes No. I for 1910-11." The fish above referred to was presented to 

 the United States National Museum. 



Rhinobatus lentiginosus Garman. 



criTAR-FISH. 



While it is known that the guitar-fish is found in the Beaufort region, 

 captures of it are very unusual, the only record at the laboratory being 

 of the taking of a 2-foot specimen in the inner harbor on July 6, 1899. 

 However, on July 23, 1912, Coles took 2 female specimens each 30 inches 

 long at the Cape. One was presented to the American Museum of Natural 

 History, and the other to the British Museum. Two days later he took a 

 third, a male 173^ inches long, which is now on deposit in the United 

 States National Museum. Coles states that these are the first that he 

 has ever taken on our coast, and that they were entirely unknown to the 

 fishermen living at the Cape. In his paper (1913) he notes that this ray 

 is viviparous. 



Raja laevis Mitchill. 



BARNDOOR SKATE; SMOOTH SKATE; WINTER SKATE. 



During the later part of December, 1912, Coles took at New River 

 Inlet a large female specimen of this skate measuring ?A)4 inches wide, 

 31 inches long (disk only), with 19}£-inch tail— total length 48 inches. 

 This specimen, which is now on deposit in the American Museum, was 

 foul-hooked in the edge of the pectoral, but was fortunately secured. Not 

 so however a male of about the same size, which, having swallowed the 

 lead attached to the line (Mr. Coles was bottom-fishing at the time), was 

 brought to the surface but cut the line and got away. 



Smith (1907) says that this ray attains a length of 4 feet (Coles' speci- 

 men measured exactly 4 feet over all), and that it is not uncommon on 

 our coast. It may have been more abundant in former times, or it may 

 be a winter visitor, but in 9 summers' seinings in Beaufort waters I have 



