PISCES. 243 



the anterior part of the body. Ex. : Torpedo. An American species of 

 this family has recently been described. 



FAiM. 19. Rajini. Head margined by the broad pectoral fins ; body 

 rhomboidal ; tail slender, elongated ; two dorsal fins ; teeth slender, nume- 

 rous, polymorphous, arranged in quincunx. Ex. : Raia, Uraptera. The 

 species of Raia are numerous in various parts of the world. Raia hatis is 

 represented \n pi. 85, Jig. 1. 



Fam. 20. TRVGONtivi. Head margine*by the broad pectorals; tail slen- 

 der, with a strong serrated spine ; teeth minute, paved, arranged in quin- 

 cunx. Ex. : Trygon. 



Fam. 21. Anacanthini. Similar to the last, but without the caudal 

 spine. Ex. : Anacanthus. 



Fam. 22. Myliobatini. Head ovate, separate from the broadly acu- 

 minate pectoral fins ; tail very slender, elongated ; dorsal fin with a strong 

 serrated spine ; teeth large, paved somewhat like mosaic. Ex. : Myliohatis, 

 JEtohatis, Rhinoptera. 



Fam. 23. Cephalopterini. Head truncate, with foliaceous appendages 

 on each side ; pectorals very broad, laterally extended ; tail very slender, 

 elongated ; dorsal fin with a serrated spine ; teeth minute. Ex. : Cepha- 

 loptera. Species of this family, some of them of immense size, are taken in 

 Delaware Bay, as well as on other parts of the coast of the United States. 

 They are universally known to American fishermen by the name of 

 'devil-fish," and individuals have been captured measuring eighteen feet 

 across the back. 



Fish belonging to the family Trygonini, above referred to, abound in the 

 sounds which exteftd along the coast of New Jersey, where they are called 

 " sting-rays," or more commonly " sting-rees." They have been known to 

 inflict severe, and often very dangerous wounds, with the spine of the tail, 

 when handled incautiously. 



In the above enumeration of the families of the Selachii we have 

 departed from our usual custom of illustrating the different sections by 

 special reference to North American genera and species. Unfortunately, 

 the materials at our command, owing to the little attention paid to the sub- 

 ject by American naturalists, are too scanty to permit any accurate com- 

 parisons or indications of the kind desirable. The fossil species have 

 recently been ably worked up by Dr. R. W. Gibbes in a monograph pub- 

 lished in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences. From this 

 valuable paper we find that there are 6 fossil species of Carcharodon, 6 of 

 Galeocerdo, Hemipristis 1, Glyphis 1, Sphyrna 3, Notidanus 1, Lamna 9, 

 Otodus 7, Oxyrhina 9, Pristis 1, Spinax 1, Hybodus 1, Myliohatis 2 ; 

 making 13 genera, and 48 species. 



447 



