Order I. PLAGIOSTOMATA. 



Syn. Elasniolratwhii. 



Body more or less cylindrical or depressed ; the trunk may or 

 may not pass gradually into the tail. From five to seven gill- 

 openings, which may be lateral or inferior. Jaws distinct from 

 the skull. 



This order has been subdivided as follows : 



A. Trunk gradually passiug into the 



tail. Gill-openings lateral . . SELACIIOIDEI or Sharks, 



13. Gill-openings inferior. Pectoral 

 fins largely developed and con- 

 stituting a flat disk BATOIDEI or Skates and Bays. 



These fish are employed as food, and portions of them, especially 

 the fins, are largely exported from the Indian to the Chinese 

 markets. In China Dr. Cantor observed that the fins were not 

 exclusively selected from the sharks, SelacJioidei, but equally 

 from the rays, Batoidei. Among those examined at Pinang were 

 found to be fins taken from fishes belonging to the following 

 genera: Carcliarias, Zygcena, Stegostoma, Pristis, JRhinobatus, 

 Trygon, and Myliobatis. Gelatine is obtained from the larger fins, 

 glue from the smaller. All except the caudal fins are cut from 

 the fish at the root, so as to leave as little flesh as possible. The 

 root is dipped into wetted lime (Chunam) and then the fins are 

 dried in the sun, and according to their value they are divided 

 into two kinds, " white " a,nd " black." The white consist exclu- 

 sively of the dorsal fins, which are on both sides of a uniform 

 light colour, and expected to yield more gelatine than the other 

 fins. The pectoral, ventral, and anal fins pass under the denomina- 

 tion of black fins ; the colour, however, varies from buff to grey or 

 brown, and most of them are of two different colours, the upper 

 surface being dark and the lower light. The black fins of course 

 are the most numerous, and supposed to yield a comparatively 

 small quantity of gelatine. 



Suborder A. SELACHOIDEI. 



Body more or less cylindrical, the trunk gradually passing into 

 the tail. Gill-openings lateral. The gills in these fishes are not 

 situated in a common cavity but in separate sacs that do not 

 communicate one with another. In those which possess five sacs 



BSi 



