Galeus. fishes. CHONDROPT. 165 



Length about 30 feet. Body bluish above, white below. Skin smooth, 

 when the hand passes over it from head to tail ; rough, like a file, in the op- 

 posite direction. Upper jaw longest, blunt. The nostrils open on the edge 

 of the upper lip. Eyes small. Temporal orifices half way between the eyes 

 and the gills. The first dorsal fin situate midway between the pectorals and 

 ventrals. The second between the ventrals and setting on of the tail. Sides 

 of the body, towards the tail, with a scabrous ridge. A deep transverse sulcus 

 on the back, at the base of the tail, the lobes of which are unequal, the upper 

 being the largest. Tongue flat. — This species is ovoviviparous. It approaches 

 the shores of the western coasts in May, and continues until July. In swim- 

 ming, the dorsal-fin is often above the surface of the water. This is a stupid 

 fish, and wUl suflPer boats to approach without being alarmed. When struck 

 with a harpoon, it usually descends to the bottom, and is somewhat difficult 

 to kill. The liver of a full-sized fish yields from 8 to 12 barrels of oil. 



Gen. V. GALEUS. Tope.— Teeth notched. Tail-fin irre- 

 gular. The first dorsal-fin nearly above the pectorals. 



G. G. vulgaris. Common Tope. — Branchial openings short. 



Galeus piscis. Chart. Onomasticon Zoicum, 209. — Canis Galeus, Will' 



Ich. 51. — Squalus Galeus, Linn. Syst. i. 399. Penn. Brit. Zoo\, iii. 1 ll- 



Block, Ich. tab. 118. — On the coast, but rare. 



This species is about 5 feet long. The back is grey, the belly white. Nose 



produced, pointed, translucent. Teeth small, sharp, triangular, and serrated 



on their inner edge. Skin rough, when stroked from the tail towards the 



head. According to Tyson, who has given minute details of the anatomical 



structure of this species, it is ovoviviparous. Will. Ich. App. p. 13. Willough- 



by states that the flesh is tender and not unpleasant. 



Gen. VI. SCYLLIUM. Bounce. — Nostrils near the mouth, 

 with a valvular lobe, and a groove leading to the hps. 

 Inferior lobe of the tail-fin divided. Oviparous. 



7. S. stellare. Ventral-fins disjoined. 



Catulus maximus. Will. Ich. 63. — Squalus cinereus, pinnis ventralibus 



discretis, Artedi, Ich. gen. 69, syn. 97. — S. stellaris, Linn. Syst. i. 399 



Spotted dog-fish, Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 113. — On the English coast. 

 Length about 3 feet. Colour greyish, with large, rather distant, black 

 spots. Nose blunt, pierced on the lower surface by numerous pores. Eyes 

 oblong. Teeth small, sharp, smooth at their sides, strait, and disposed in fur- 

 rows. The first dorsal-fin placed nearly over the ventral-fins. 



8. S. Catulus. Bounce or Morgay. — Ventral fins united. 



Catulus major, Will. Ich. p. 62. cap. xv. p. 64, cap. xvii — Squalus dor so 

 vario, pinnis ventralibus concretis, Artedi, Ich. gen. p. 89, syn. p. 97 — 

 Sq. Cat. Linn. Syst. i. 400. — Lesser Spotted Dog-fish, Penn. Brit. Zool. 

 iii. 115, Donovan, Brit. Fishes, tab. Iv. — On the English coast, com- 

 mon. 



Length 2| feet. Colour brownish, with numerous black spots ; belly white- 

 Teeth acute, recurved, and, according to Bloch (tab. 114) tricuspidate — This 

 species is considered as differing from the former in the reddish colour, in the 

 spots being of a less size, but more numerous ; the snout being shorter ; the 

 nostrils nearer the lips ; the ventral fins united ; the anal fin nearer the tail. 

 These characters seem to indicate specific, though they may prove only sexual 



