76 



RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



into several compartments; some of the divisions had been 

 ruptured, and one had furnished the example first examined. 

 As far as could be ascertained, the uterus is exactly as described 

 and figured by Parker, and to his description I need only add that 

 the shell-glands are of unusual size and shape ; each consists of a 

 pair of lateral lobes 7 5 mm. in diameter, thickened dfstally and 

 bent inwards, presenting the convex side to the body of the 

 uterus; the whole forms a sub-reniform body, measuring 19 mm. 

 in length, and 23 ram. in breadth. (Fig. 19). 



Prof. W. A. Haswell suggested to me that the chitinous 

 lining of the uterus may be the product of these glands; he now 

 writes as follows:— "Mr. Thomas Steel has tested the membrane 

 from the uterus of Mtistelus antarcticus and finds that it consists 

 of the same material as the egg-shell of Cestracion (and of 

 other oviparous Elasmobranchs), namely keratin. This seems 

 to support the view that the 'membrane' in question is not 

 formed from the epithelium of the uterus, but is really a vestigial 

 shell, or more accurately, several vestigial shells united together, 

 their substance being secreted by the shell-gland." 



Five young were sent to us, all in an equal state of development, 

 one of the divisions contained a yolk-sac, fully charged, but no 

 development had taken place. The following are the dimensions 

 of a fcetus : — 



Total length 



Length of head to 1st gill-slit... 



Width of head 



Snout to front margin of eye ... 



Diameter of eye 



Snout to spiracle 



Snout to mouth .. 



Width of mouth 



Height of body... 



Snout to vent ... 



Snout to 1st dorsal fin... 



Snout to 2nd dorsal fin... 



Tntradorsal space 



Snout to pectoral fin ... 



Snout to ventral fin 



Snout to anal fin 



Length of caudal fin 

 The colour when first received was pinkish, yellowish in parts, 

 and white below. The back is crossed by nine dark purple bars ; 

 one between the eyes, one over the gill-slits, one at the origin and 

 another at the posterior insertion of the first dorsal, two on the 

 intradorsal space, two at the base of the second dorsal, and one 

 on the caudal peduncle. The fins are yellower than the body, and 

 the front edge of both the dorsals is black. 



mm. 



156 

 30 

 23 

 11 

 9 

 21 

 21 

 11 

 14 

 78 

 50 

 95 

 31 

 35 

 72 



103 

 35 



