188 Storer^s Descriptions of^ and Observations on^ 



its point : and beneath this, is a second similar spine, four 

 inches long. In Lesueur's species, the lateral plates in the 

 jaws, being of a similar form with the central ones, appear in 

 his figure, as mere prolongations of these plates. And the 

 tail in that species was armed with a single spine. 



With the fragment of a jaw and the tail merely, it is diffi- 

 cult to characterize a species, the other organs of which, 

 may present striking peculiarities. Unless, however, future 

 research should show the species to which these belong, to 

 possess some remarkably distinct character, I would propose 

 the specific name of hispinosiis. 



In January, 1840, Dr. Prescott, of Lynn, sent me a portion 

 of a Shark's jaw, taken from a species captured near that place 

 in that month. The fish was supposed to weigh about 

 1000 pounds : the jaws are of equal length, and the gape of 

 the mouth was wide. The fragment of the lower jaw, to 

 which the hook was attached, was the only portion removed 

 by the fishermen. The teeth of this species have no points of 

 resemblance with those of the Carcharias obscurus, nor Lam- 

 na punctata — the edges of the former are serrated through- 

 out — and the latter are very small and triangular. With the 

 minute conical teeth of the Squahis elephas no one could con- 

 found them ; and their difference from those of the Carcha- 

 rias vulpes is at once recognized by the ichthyologist. The 

 portion of the jaw before me is six inches in length, and two 

 inches wide at its tip. From the tip of the jaw, to the pos- 

 terior angle on each side, are situated seven teeth : the two 

 on each side of the chin are longer, narrower, and straiter 

 than those exterior to them. Dr. Prescott observed in 

 his letter to me, that when taken, "it exhibited three, and in 

 some places four rows of long narrow teeth." Now that the 

 soft parts are removed, the two teeth next the chin, are seen 

 continued back into the mouth seven rows deep : in the first 

 row, the two exterior teeth are shorter than the third within 

 them ; this third tooth, with the two still within it, are about 

 the same size : the outer tooth of the second row, is of the 

 same height as the third of the first row, and in this row they 



