Tin; PISHES OF MALABAR. 273 



Scales — Minute, of irregular sizes, and situated over the whole of the surface except the 

 summit of the male appendages and the teeth of the saw. They arc rather the largest and roughest 

 on the back. 



Colours — Greyish yellow above, whitish beneath. Iris golden with a black edge. 



Grows to seven feet and upwards in length. The flesh is as much esteemed as that of the 

 sharks. The fins are prepared and sent to China: oil is extracted from the livers, whilst the skins 

 are useful for sword belts or for smoothing down wood. 



Habitat — Seas of India and Malaysia. 



Group RHAMPHOBATIDES. 

 Genus EHYNCOBATUS, Mull & Ernie. 



Snout elongated, acute, with a central, longitudinal, tapering keel, the interval between which and the 

 inner margin of the pectoral is membraneous : undulations of snout are shallow, especially the lateral ones. 

 Superior and inferior nasal valves extend only half way to the inner angle of the nostril, whilst external 

 to the nostril at its upper and outer part is a narrow hem. Spiracles close behind the eyes. The upper 

 eyelid with a simple projection. Teeth broader than long, with a transverse ridge. An arched row of 

 pores extends across the abdominal surface of the scapular region. 



Ehyncobatus Djeddensis. 



Eaja Djiddensis, Forsk. 18. 



Walawah tenkee, Russell, pi. x. (young.) 



Ehyncobatus Djeddensis, Cantor, Catal. p. 412. 



Ehyncobatus levis, Gray, Catal. Brit. Mus. p. 92 ; Dumeril, Icli. g£n. i. p. 483. 



Snout elongated, with a tapering keel along its centre. From its anterior extremity to its 

 mouth, equals about one-sixth of its entire length. The distance from the nostrils to the lateral 

 margin is about one-third of their length, whilst their distance apart posteriorly nearly equals 

 their total length, anteriorly they are rather more than twice as far asunder. Eyes large, upper 

 lid with a simple projection. Spiracle close behind the orbit. There is a narrow membraneous 

 hem to the upper margin of the nostril : the superior and inferior nasal valves do not extend so 

 far as the inner margin of the nostrils. Mouth transverse, situated midway between the anterior 

 extremity of the snout and the postei'ior margin of the pectoral fin, it is about half the width of 

 the head. A transverse arched row of pores exists on the abdominal side of the scapular region. 



Teeth — Broader than long with transverse ridges. 



Fins — First dorsal commences opposite the centre of the base of the ventral, the length of 

 their bases ai-e about equal, and half the anterior height of the anterior margin of the first dorsal. 

 The second dorsal is half nearer to the base of the caudal than to the posterior extremity of the 

 first dorsal, it is smaller than the latter fin, but its shape is the same. Pectoral irregularly trian- 

 gular, its posterior free margin being only one-third as long as its anterior edge. Upper margin 

 of caudal convex, lower concave : superior lobe slightly the largest. 



Scales — Minute, of irregular shapes and sizes, keeled : a number of sharp curved spines directed 



2 N 



