FAMILY SQUALIDA — CARCHARIAS. 3ol 
I am indebted to Lesueur for the description and figure of this species. There arc certain 
particulars in which they do not agree, but I suppose the description to be the most exact. 
It bears a general resemblance to the following, from which, however, it is obviously distinct. 
THE GROUND SHARK. 
CARCHARIAS LITFORALIS. 
The Ground Shark, Squalus liutoralis. Mrrcuitt, Am. Month. Mag. Vol. 2, p. 328. 
Ash-colored Shark, S. littoralis, Lusurur, Jcur. Ac. Nat. Se. Vol. 1, p. 224. 
Characteristics. Fins large, not prolonged backward. ‘Teeth narrow, pointed, undulated. 
Second dorsal before the anal. Length five to eight feet. 
Description. Body short, thick, wider towards the abdomen. Head flat, dilated between 
the eyes, and terminating in a pointed snout, rounded at the end. Nasal lobes very short ; 
apertures pretty wide, and laterally placed at the extremity of the snout. Eyes very small, 
orbicular, brilliant; these are somewhat above the sides of the snout. Branchial apertures 
very large, especially the first; the last much smaller, embracing the base of the pectoral 
fin. Dorsal subquadrangular ; pectoral soft. Tail rounded, tapering to a point, and furnished 
with a falciform fin, terminated by adistinct triangular lobe. It has an undulated carina, 
tapering at the base upwards. ‘The opening of the jaws represents the letter U. Teeth long, 
in three or four rows, without dentulures. 
Color. Reddish ash-grey. Abdomen white. Irides silvery. 
Length three feet. New-York markets. 
To this description, which is taken from Lesueur, I add the following additional remarks 
by Dr. Mitchill: 
‘Mouth enormously wide, and not very remote from the snout; with three rows of elon- 
“‘ gated teeth, shaped almost like horseshoe nails. ‘Tongue broad andsmooth. The hindmost 
‘spiracle measurably in advance of the pectorals, opening behind the eye. Skin rough 
“when felt reversely. Length five to eight feet. Color whitish or grey.” 
It will be observed that this shark has some of the characters of a Lamna; but I cannot 
venture to reconcile the discrepancies between the two descriptions, which, it is worthy of 
notice, were made from the same specimen. 
