70 The Philippine Journal of Science 1923 



salt fish have such slipshod methods that their product is often 

 inferior. 



Most kinds of sharks are harmless to man, and they are not a 

 serious menace to bathers in the Philippines ; nevertheless, they 

 are a factor to be considered in many places. Occasionally some 

 one is either killed outright by a shark, so badly bitten as to 

 die shortly afterward, or is seriously wounded. Bathing beaches 

 having a reef or bar in front of them are usually safe, but 

 bathers should never venture alone into deep water in the 

 Philippines. 



There are no authentic records of rays attacking man, though 

 the gigantic rays known as mantas or "sea devils" are greatly 

 feared by pearl divers. The sting rays, which have one or more 

 large barbed spines on the long and flexible tail, inflict dan- 

 gerous wounds when stepped upon. The jagged spine causes 

 frightful injury and, due to the slime and dirt forced into the 

 wound, infection usually follows. 



Sawfish never attack man intentionally, but due to their size, 

 strength, and terrific weapon they are greatly and justly dreaded 

 when entangled in nets or caught in traps. 



The sharks and rays of the Philippines are very imperfectly 

 known, not more than half of the species being listed or repre- 

 sented in existing collections. Although they form a group of 

 considerable economic importance in the Philippines this lack 

 of knowledge is not surprising, since it is very difficult to collect 

 and preserve the large adult forms. 



In the present paper is described a new species, the type of a 

 new genus, obtained at Dumaguete, Oriental Negros, in March, 

 1922. With it were also caught two other sharks, small dogfish, 

 reported only once before from the Philippines. These three 

 sharks were captured in a fish corral a few meters off shore, in 

 water not over 6 meters deep. 



Genus HEMITRIAKIS novum 



This genus is distinguished from Triakis, to which it is most 

 closely related, by the differences in the teeth, in the shape of the 

 snout, in the lobe of the nasal valve, in the shape of the body, and 

 in the subcaudal lobe. 



Head much depressed anteriorly, flattened beneath except 

 beneath the moderately long and pointed snout, where it is 

 slightly convex; eyes with prominent nictitating membrane over 

 lower portion; spiracles very small, behind eyes; nostrils very 



