CHONDHOPTERYGII BRANCHIIS FIXIS. 229 



the branchial orifices are pierced ; the two dorsals are behind the ventrals, and 

 the caudal is attached both above and beneath. The 



Squat, angelus (The Angel Fish), attains a considerable size in the Euro- 

 pean seas. Its skin is rough, and the edges of the pectorals are furnished with 

 small spines. 



PRISTIS, Latham*. 



The Saw Fish forms a fourth genus. To the elongated form of the Squali, 

 it unites a body flattened before and branchiae opening below, as in the Rays ; 

 but its peculiar character consists in a very long depressed snout, resembling 

 the blade of a sword, armed on each side with stout, bony, trenchant, and 

 pointed spines, planted like teeth. This beak, from which these fishes derive 

 their name, is a most powerful weapon, and with it they attack the largest 

 whales. The true teeth of their jaws resemble small paving stones, like those 

 of a Mustelus. 



The common species, Pristis antiquorum, Lath., attains a length of twelve 

 or fifteen feet. 



RAIA, Linn&us^r. 



The Rays form a less numerous genus than the SqualL They are recognised 

 by the horizontally flattened body which resembles a 

 disk, from its union with the extremely broad and 

 fleshy pectorals which are joined to each other before 

 or to the snout, and which extend behind tlie two sides 

 of the abdomen as far as the base of the ventrals. 

 The eyes and spiracles are seated on the dorsal surface, 

 the mouth, nostrils, and orifices of the branchiae on 

 the opposite one. The dorsal fins are almost always 

 on the tail. The ova are brown, coriaceous, and 

 square, the angles extended into points. 



In the various subdivisions of this genus, we find 

 the Sting- Ray, Spotted Torpedo, Thornback, Skate, &c. 

 The most remarkable subgenus is 



TORPEDO, Dumeril. 



The tail short, but still tolerably fleshy ; disk of the body nearly circular, 

 the anterior border being formed by two productions of the snout, which incline 

 side- wise in order to reach the pectorals; the space between these pectorals, 

 head and branchiae, is filled on each side with a singular apparatus, formed of 

 little membranous tubes, placed close together like a honeycomb, subdivided 

 by horizontal diaphragms into small cells filled with a sort of mucus, and tra- 

 versed by numerous nerves proceeding from the eighth pair. It is in this 

 apparatus that resides the electric or galvanic power which has rendered the 



* IIg;W<;, saw ; the Greek name of this fish. 



f Raio in Latin, Bari? and Baro; in Greek, arc the ancient names of these fishes. 



