Chim^ua. fishes. CHONDROPT. 173 



Galeus acanthias Clusii, Will. Ich. 57 — Ch. mon. Linn.' Syst. i. 401. 

 Block, Ich. tab. 124. Don. Brit. Fishes, tab. cxi. — In the north seas. 

 Length n^rly 3 feet. Body compressed. Head blunt, the snout sub- 

 asceniling, bhmt. A narrow crenulated grinder on each side in the lower 

 jaw, and a broad tubercular one coiTesponding above. Nostrils immediately 

 above the upper lip contiguous, each with a cartilaginous complicated 

 valve. Bronchial openings in front of the pectorals. Eyes large, lateral. 

 Lateral line connected with numerous waved anastomosing grooves on the 

 cheeks and face. On the crown in front of the eyes, a thui osseous plate, 

 bent forwards, with a spinous disc at the extremity on the lower side. The 

 tirst dorsal fin above the pectorals narrow, with a strong spine along the an- 

 teal edge. The second dorsal arises immediately behind the first, is narrow, 

 and is continued to the caudal one, where it terminates suddenly. The pec- 

 torals are large, and subtriangular. Ventrals rounded, in front of each a 

 broad recurved osseous plate, with recurved spines on the ventral edge. 

 Claspers pedunculated, divided into three linear segments, the anteal one 

 simple, the retral ones having the opposite edges covered with numerous small 

 reflected spines. A small anal fin opposite the extremity of the second dor- 

 sal. Caudal fin above and below, broadest near the origin, gradually decreas- 

 ing to a linear produced thread. This species was known to Dr Walker as 

 an inhabitant of the Zetland seas. The specimen, from which the preceding 

 description was taken, was sent from thence through the kind attention of 

 Laurence Edmonston, Esq. Surgeon, Unst, where it is termed the Rabbit- 

 fish. 



Gen. XVII. ACIPENSER. Sturgeon.— Mouth protrusile, 

 without teeth. Snout conical. 



30. A. Sturio. — Body with five rows of large osseous scales. 



Mctt. Pin. 188. Sibh. ^cot. 25. Will Ich. 27i9. Li/m. Syst. 403. Penn. 



Brit. Zool. iii. 124. Don. Brit. Fishes, tab. Ixv Occasionally found 



in rivers. 



Length reaching to 18 feet. Body grey above, white below, pentangular. 

 Snout slender, subdepressed, fhard. Mouth small, circular and tubular, be- 

 tween which and the extremity of the snout are four beards in a transverse 

 row. Eyes small. Nostrils double. Gill opening semicircular. A row of 

 large radiated osseous scales, with a mesial crest, commences at the crown, 

 and is continued to the tail ; another on each side of the body, and another on 

 each side of the beUy ; the rest of the skin rough. AU the fins are triangular. 

 The anal and dorsal fins opposite.. Upper lobe of the tail considerably pro- 

 duced — This species is occasionally caught in the larger rivers by the salmon 

 nets, in the summer season, having left the sea for the purpose of spawning. 



The fish referred to by Merret in his Pinax, p. 188, was probably the A. 

 Huso. " Acipenseri congener, cui valde similis excepto capite saporis deli- 

 catissimi, captus erat in Insula Vecti, anno 1 6G4. Ds. Cole, qui ipsum deli- 

 neavit exsiccavitque." 



At the conclusion of this enumeration of the Cartilaginous Fishes of this 

 country, the Sea Snake, an animal which was cast ashore on Stronsa, Orkney, 

 in 1808, merits some notice. It came ashore dead, and in a mutilated state. 

 From the affidavits of those who had an opportunity of inspecting it, it appears 

 to have been upwards of 55 feet in length, and not above 5 or C feet in circum- 

 ference where thickest. Filaments, resembling a mane, extended along the 

 back, the remnants, probably, of a dorsal fin ; and three articulated members 

 on each side, presented themselves, probably the remains of pectorals, ventrals, 



