Zoologij.'] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. \_Fislies. 



Measukements— con<mMe<f. 

 Width of mouth 



„ between middle of upper edge of orbits 

 Length fi-om tip of snout to line connecting middle of upper 

 edge of orbits 



„ of base of pectoral 



„ anterior edge of pectoral 



„ base of 1st dorsal 



„ anterior edge of 1st dorsal 



,, base of 2nd dorsal 



„ anterior edge of 2nd dorsal 



„ posterior edge of 2nd dorsal ... 



„ base of anal 



„ anterior margin of anal 



„ posterior „ ,, 



Width of fiu bordering the middle of upper caudal lobe, ou 



lower edge 

 Width of lobe of same at point 

 Depth in front of 1st dorsal 



Length of upper tooth next middle from apex to middle of base 

 Width „ „ „ „ 



Length of lower tooth „ „ „ 



Width „ „ „ „ 



Reference. — = Squalus vulpcs (Lin.), Syst. Nat. v. 1, p. 1496 = Alopecias 

 id. (Miill. & Hen.) Plagiost., p. 74, t. 35, f. 1; Couch, F.B.L., v. 1, t. 7. 



This most curious Shark differs froui all others iu the inordinate 

 length of the upper lobe of the tail, which varies a little, l)ut al^out 

 equals the whole body in lengtli, or is usually a little over half the 

 total length. 



The name " Thresher" arises from the strange habit this fish 

 has of giving loud sounding IjIows to whales and other large bodies 

 in the sea with its long slender tail as a thresher does with his flail. 

 The Fox-Shark is a connnon name iu England for this species. It 

 is one of the rarest Sharks of our seas, only two examples having 

 occurred to my knowledge on the Victorian coasts ; of one of 

 which a sketch was sent to me many years ago by a fisherman at 

 Hastings, and the figured specimen from the same place is now 

 in the Museum at Melbourne. It is perfectly identical in all 

 respects with the European species, and thus is one of the few 

 fishes having a perfectly world-Avide distribution. 



Explanation of Figures. 



Plate 88. — Fig. 1, side view, reduced to 1-I5th natural size. Fig. la, under view of head 

 to show form of mouth and position of nostrils. Fig. 1/;, nostril, natural size. Fig. Ic, form 

 of section at hinder tliird of ho^Xy. Fig. \d, upper tooth, natural size. Fig. le, lower tooth, 

 natural size. 



Frederick McCoy. 



[28] 



