504 PISCES (CARTILAG.) PLAGIOSTOMI. [SQUALUS. 



of the upper lip : eyes very small ; the pupils perfectly round : half-way 

 between the eye and the gills, on each side, the orifice of a canal, leading 

 into the mouth : pectorals situate a little behind the posterior gills : dorsal 

 situate nearly opposite to the middle space between the pectoral and anal 

 (ventral?) fins: posterior dorsal small, and situate half-way between the 

 anal (ventral ?) fins, and the setting on of the tail : the two anal (ventral ?) 

 fins attached on their upper edge for about half their extent each to the 

 lower side of a long projecting body peculiar to the male: all the fins 

 have a thick round edge anteriorly, and become gradually thinner to- 

 wards the posterior part, which is partially serrated : a deep sulcus at the 

 setting on of the tail, and, on each side of the fish, a scabrous ridge 

 extending from this sulcus as far forwards as the posterior dorsal fin." 

 {Colours.) "Upper part of the body deep lead-colour: belly white." 

 PENN. 



A large species of Shark, referred by authors to the Squalus maocimus 

 of Linnaeus, has been repeatedly noticed in the British seas. Pennant 

 observes that such a fish has been long known to the inhabitants of the 

 South and West of Ireland and Scotland, and those of Caernarvonshire 

 and Anglesea ; that they are seen in the Welsh seas in most summers, 

 sometimes in vast shoals; that they also appear in the Frith of Clyde, 

 and among the Hebrides, in the month of June, in small droves, but 

 oftener in pairs. Mr. Neill states* that they are common in the Scottish 

 seas, occasionally, though seldom, entering the Frith of Forth. Low 

 speaks of their being also common in the Orkneys. Dr. Shaw notices 

 one which was taken at Abbotsbury in Dorsetshire t. Sir E. Home has 

 described another captured at Hastings. Mr. Couch mentions another 

 taken on the coast of Cornwall $. Whether, however, in these and other 

 instances the same species has been observed, from the want of more 

 accurate descriptions, it is impossible to determine. Blainville is of 

 opinion that no less than four distinct species have been confounded 

 by naturalists under the name of Squalus maocimus . Cuvier, on the 

 other hand, thinks that the differences observable in the figures and 

 descriptions which authors have given of this fish, may have arisen from 

 incorrect observation, and from the difficulty which attends a close exa- 

 mination of such large animals ||. These points can only be cleared up 

 by further investigation into" the real characters of such individuals as 



* Wern. Mem. vol. i. p. 550. t Gen. Zool. vol. v. part ii. p. 330. 



$ Linn. Trans, vol. xiv. p. 91. 



See two memoirs on this subject, one contained in the Journal de Physique for Sept. 1810, 

 (vol. LXXI. p. 248); the other in the Annales du Museum for 1811. (vol. xvm. p. 88.) In the 

 first of these, Blainville has briefly characterized what he considers as three species, under the 

 'following names: (1.) Squalus Gunnerianus; distinguished principally by the want (?) of tem- 

 poral orifices, and the presence of an anal fin : this, which is intended for the original fish ob- 

 served by Gunner, (with reference to which Linnaeus established his species,) he regards the same 

 as Pennant's, supposing this last to have been without temporal orifices, on which point Pennant 

 is silent. (2.) S. pcrcgrinus ; in which there are neither temporal orifices nor anal: the type of 

 this species is in the' Museum at Paris. (3. ) S. Homianus ; distinguished by the presence of 

 temporal orifices, and the absence of an anal : this species is founded upon the specimen described 

 by Sir E. Home, and named after him. In his second memoir, Blainville has given a most 

 elaborate description of both the external and internal characters of a large shark brought to 



drawing of which was probably taken from the specimen mentioned by that author as having 

 been captured on the coast of Dorsetshire, but to which no description is annexed. 



It is much to be desired that any of our own naturalists who may have an opportunity of 

 observing any individuals of the species usually termed Basking Shark, would take as accurate 

 and detailed a description as possible of the several parts, and compare it afterwards with that 

 given by Blainville in the second of the above memoirs, which should serve as a standard of eom- 

 parison'in all future cases. It is particularly important that they note the presence or absence 

 of temporal orifices and an anal fin, which are so small (compared with the entire bulk of the 

 animal) as to be easily overlooked. They should also attend to the form of the teeth, the nature 

 of the skin, and the size, as well as form and position, of the branchial openings. 



Ii See Reg. An. torn. n. p. 391. note (1). 



