60 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Mitchill also states that the fishermen usually allow these 

 rays to decay on the shores, but sometimes take out their livers 

 for conversion into oil. 



According to Dr Smith, the cow-nosed ray is common at 



Woods Hole Mass. 







Subclass TELEOSTOMI 



True Fishes 

 Series GANOIDEI 



Ganoid Fishes 

 Order SELACHOSTOMI 



Paddlefishes 

 Family POLYODONTIDAE 



Paddlefishes 

 Genus POLYODON Lacepede 



Body fusiform, elongate, somewhat compressed; skin smooth 

 or with minute ossifications; snout produced into a very long 

 spatulate process, the inner part composed of the produced 

 nasal bones, the sides flexible and supported by a bony network; 

 mouth wide, terminal, but overhung by the snout, without max- 

 illaries, but with toothed prernaxillaries; numerous fine, decidu- 

 ous teeth in the jaws and on palatines; no tongue; nostrils 

 double, immediately in front of tlje eye; spiracles present; oper- 

 culum rudimentary, its skin produced behind into a long acute 

 flap; no pseudobranchiae; no barbels; no opercular gill; gills 

 four and one half; gill rakers numerous, very long and slender, 

 in a double series on each arch, the two series divided by a 

 broad membrane; gill membranes connected but free from isth- 

 mus; one broad branchiostegal; lateral line continuous, its lower 

 margin with short branches; air bladder cellular, entire, com- 

 municating with the dorsal wall of the esophagus; pyloric caeca 

 in the form of a short, broad, leaflike organ, with four or five 

 larger divisions, each being subdivided; rectum with a fully 

 developed spiral valve; dorsal fin posterior, without spines; anal 

 similar, and more posterior; tail heterocercal, with well devel- 



