Memoirs of the Indian Museum. 



[Vol. II, 



9 a 



Breadth of pectoral fin 



, , pelvic fin . . 

 Length of pectoral fin . . 



,, „ pelvic fin . . 

 Breadth of first dorsal fin 



, , , , second dorsal fin 

 Height of first dorsal fin 



, , second dorsal fin 

 Length of dorsal lobe of caudal fin 

 Greatest breadth of dorsal lobe of caudal fin 



The rostral teeth are narrow in these specimens, measuring 10 mm. in breadth 

 at the base and 21 mm. in length where they are not worn. They are very slightly 

 retroverted and show no signs of a barb on the posterior edge, as the rostral teeth of all 

 young examples of the species ( =P. semisagittatus, Shaw) do (see Miiller and Henle, 

 Syst. Beschr. d. Plagiostomen , pi. 60, 1841). The male has 27 teeth on either side of the 

 saw; the female 27 on the right and 28 on the left. 



The colour of young individuals is a dark leaden grey on the dorsal suiface, fading 

 to pale grey on the belly. The back of old specimens is considerably paler than that 

 of the young and is tinged with green in life. 



Pristis cuspidatus is confined to the seas of India and the Malay Archipelago. It 

 is common at the mouths of the Ganges. 



There is an interesting abnormal (stuft'ed) specimen of this species in the Museum. 

 The anterior dorsal is entirely absent, but a slight scar on the skin of the back would 

 suggest that it had been removed accidentally. In front of this scar there is a longi- 

 tudinal band of small, broadly heart-shaped, flattened denticles, which is broadest 

 posteriorly and becomes gradually narrower in front, reaching slightly beyond the 

 anterior margin of the pelvic fins. The specimen is a young one, measuring about 80 

 cm. in length and was purchased in the Akyab market in 1006. 



Pristis -perottetii , Miiller and Henle. 



This species is distinguished from P. pectinatus and P. zysron. by the small number 

 of its rostral teeth (not more than 22 pairs) and by the position of its first or anterior 

 dorsal fin, which originates considerably further forward on the body than the pelvic fins. 



This species is very common in the estuaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra, 

 which it ascends for at least a hundred miles, often being captured in fresh water. 

 The following are the measurements of two large females taken by the ' ' Golden 

 Crown,' ' A in November oft" Arakan and B in October off Orissa. 



A. B. 



Kxtreme length (including saw) .. .. .. 656-0 cm. 561-0 cm. 



Length of saw .. .. .. .. 145-0 ,, 1300 ,, 



Breadth of saw (at base) .. .. .. 27-0 ,, 22-7 ,, 



