15 



All the tissues extremely fragile. 



Head very large, very flat and depressed, branchial regions laterally 

 expanded. 



Snout much depressed, somewhat polygonal in outline : nostrils very large, 

 situated on ventral surface of edge of snout. Under surface of snout with 

 numerous rather large pores, two rows of which form an elegant Y- or V-shaped 

 figure that extends between the nostrils. 



Eyes very large, their major diameter four-fifths as long as the snout 

 measured from the mouth, and a fifth the length of the head (branchial region 

 included). 



Spiracles rather small, about a third the major diameter of the eye, situated 

 on the upper surface of the head, behind the eye. 



Mouth crescentic, large, the distance between its angles being as long as, 

 or slightly longer than the snout : minute tricuspid teeth in both jaws. 



Body covered with minute extremely deciduous placoid scales, the spine of 

 each scale with a stelliform base. 



Dorsal spines very strong and acute, the 2nd nearly twice the size of the 

 1st. The 1st dorsal fin arises in advance of a point midway between the pec- 

 torals and ventrals, the 2nd arises immediately behind the level of the base of 

 the ventrals. 



Colours uniform jet-black, but the integument is very deciduous. In youn^ 

 specimens the hue is " deep violet black, lighter between the eyes ; head with 

 minute white spots arranged in the shape of a lute ; ventrals with pale tips." 



Bay of Bengal 405-285 fathoms : Arabian Sea 690-620 fathoms. 



Regd. Nos. 11664, 11666 : ~ to p 



Family Scylliidce. 



SCTLLIUM, CUV., M. & H. 



3. Scyllium hispidum, Alcock. 



Scullium hispidum, Alcock, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hiat., July, 1891, p. 21 : Illustrations of the Zoology of the 

 Investigator, Pishes, pl. VIII. figs. 3, 3a. 



Head broad and depressed. Snout flat, semicircular in outline, its length, 

 measured from the convexity of the upper jaw, is half its greatest breadth and 

 twice the width of the inter-narial space. Nasal valves separated by an interval 

 almost equal to the maximum diameter of the nostril : each has a very short 

 cirrus. 



Eyeballs large, their major diameter being between two-thirds and three- 

 quarters the length of the snout (measured as above). 



