Mr. Bennett on some Fishes from Jamaica. 87 



of the body and the fins, by small black rounded spots, not closely set, 

 and somewhat regular in their distribution. It agrees well with the figure 

 given by Parra, t. xxxiv., f. 2., on which was founded Schneider's Squa- 

 lus punctatus, Syst. Ichth. p. 134, erroneously placed in his section " B. 

 " Foraminibus temporum carentes," &c. The only differences worthy 

 of notice are, that in Parra's figure the branchial openings are placed 

 wholly in front of, and not partly above, the pectoral fins ; and that these 

 openings are all exhibited as distinct, whereas the fifth is partially con- 

 cealed in the fourth. Parra's specimen appears to have been even smaller 

 than that of Dr. Bancroft, " tan pequeno como que se saco del vientre 

 " de su raadre ;" and he states that he describes so young an individual 

 because he could not obtain any of larger growth. According to him, 

 " El color de todo el es cenicento, sembrado de varias machas negras 

 " redondas que lo hermosean mucho." It is called Gata by the Spani- 

 ards of Havana. 



A remark made by M. Broussonnet will account for the apparent diffi- 

 culty, but more probably the absolute impossibility, of procuring indivi- 

 duals possessing the characters of the Squalus punctatus, Schn., of larger 

 size than those obtained by Parra and by Dr. Bancroft. M. Cuvier regards 

 this species as identical with the Barhillon of Broussonnet ; and this opi- 

 nion is almost unquestionably correct. Now Broussonnet states expressly 

 that in his species, the young, while not exceeding one foot in length, 

 exhibit small, round, black spots, which are not found on the larger 

 individuals, some of which attain the length of five feet. On the des- 

 cription of the Barhillon given by Broussonnet is founded the Squalus 

 cirratus, Gmel., which is properly placed by Schneider in the section 

 possessing temporal orifices. The location by the latter of the Sq. punc- 

 tatus among those Sharks in which these openings are wanting, may 

 readily be accounted for by the extreme minuteness of the orifices, 

 which in our specimen could not be detected without much difficulty, and 

 into which the point of an anatomical blowpipe could not be introduced. 



By some oversight M. Cuvier refers the Barhillon of Broussonnet to 

 the Squalus barbatus, Gmel., instead of the Sq. cirratus, Ej. The 

 Sq. barbatus is founded on the description of the Barbu of Broussonnet, 

 a very distinct species from a totally different locahty. 



To the same species with the one under consideration, for which the 



