SEXUAL CHARACTERS — ELASMOBRANCH FISHES 



361 



were made, and which measured 80 cm.^ from the tip of the 

 snout to the posterior ends of the claspers, the siphons were 28 

 cm. in length, so that they cannot be included in their entirety 

 in the figure (fig. 1). 



The claspers, measuring about 8 cm. in length, are consider- 

 ably longer than the pelvic fins. The clasper groove is open as 

 in Raia since its edges do not approximate. As in Raia also 

 the claspers are practically devoid of dermal denticles, being 

 smooth to the touch, and composed of plenty of erectile tissue. 



Fig. 2 Galeus vulgaris, dorsal aspect. 

 Rh., rhipidion; Ps., pseiidosiphon. 



A., apopyle; H., hypopyle; FL, flap; 



The rhipidion is, in this genus, more developed than in any so 

 far considered, and is abundantly supplied wdth blood vessels, 

 some pronounced superficially but omitted in the figure. 



Toward the posterior end of the clasper, upon about the same 

 level as the rhipidion, and on its inner side (since the clasper is 

 twisted in the figure), is a small, blindly ending sac whose wide 

 aperture points in a posterior direction. In naming this the 



1 This standard of measurement has been adopted in this and the following 

 cases, since the animals were consigned, for the sake of convenience, to me with- 

 out their tails. 



JOURNAL OP MORPHOLOGY, VOL. 35, NO. 2 



