246 FISHES. 



Mus. torn. XVIII, pi. vi, f. 1, (The Basking Shark) has nothing 

 of the ferocity of the Shark, although it surpasses it in size as 

 well as all other squali. Individuals have been captured that 

 were more than thirty feet in length. It inhabits the Arctic 

 seas, but is sometimes driven on the coast of France by the 

 strength of the north-east winds *. 



Cestracion, Cuv. 



The spiracles, anal, and teeth like paving stones of the Musteli, 

 with a spine before each dorsal as in Spin ax ; the pointed jaws pro- 

 jecting as much as the snout, with small pointed teeth in the middle, 

 and very broad rhomboidal ones towards the angles, the ensemble of 

 which resembles certain spiral shells. 



But a single species is known, the Sq. Philippi, Schn., Phil.. 

 Voy. pi. 283, and the teeth : Davila, Cat., I, xxii. 



Species without an anal but furnished loith spiracles. 

 Spinax, Cuv. 



These, with Galeus and Mustelus, join with all the characters 

 of a Careharias, the addition of spiracles, and are distinguished besides 

 by the want of an anal, by several rows of small trenchant teeth, and 

 by a strong spine before each dorsal. 



Sq. acanthias, L.; Bl.,85. (The Picked Dog-Fish). Brown 

 above ; whitish beneath. The young, Edw., 288f, are spotted 

 with white. 



CentrinaJ, Cuv. 



These fishes unite with spines, spiracles, and the deficiency of the 

 anal as in Spinax, the position of the second dorsal over the ventrals 

 and the shortness of the tail, give it a more clumsy appearance than is 

 presented by any other species. The lower teeth are trenchant and 

 placed in one or two rows ; the upper ones are slender, pointed, and 

 arranged in several rows. The skin is rough. 



The species most common on the coast of France is the Sq. 

 centrina,Ij.; Bl. 115. 



* See the anatomy of this fish by M. de Blainville, loc. cit. N.B. The differences 

 observed between the figures and descriptions of Gunner, Dronth., Ill, ii, 1. of 

 Pennant, Brit. Zool., No. 44, of Home, Phil. Trans., 1809, and of Shaw, Gen. 

 Zool. may be owing to the difficulty that attends all attempts to observe such large 

 fishes, and may not be sufficient to establish species. Nor can I see in what 

 particulars the squalus elephas, Lesueur, Ac. Nat. Sc. Philad., differs from this 

 maximus. 



-f- Add the Sagre, Brouss., (Sq. spinax, h.,J Gunner, Dronth., Mem., II, pi. vii; — 

 the Aiguillat Blainville, Risso, Ed. II, f. 6. N.B. The Squalus uyatus, Rafin., 

 Caratt., pi. xiv, f. 2, does not differ from a Spinax, and is probably the Squalus 

 spinax, L. His Dalatias nochirnus, lb., f. 3, is a Spinax whose spiracles escaped 

 his observation. His Etmoptekus aculeatvs, also, appears to me a Spinax drawn 

 from a dried specimen. This author give it three branchial orifices, but he only 

 allows the same number to the Squat angelus, which most certainly has five. 



% Kentrine, the Greek name of thisfish, from Kentron, sting. It is the Oxynotus 

 of Rafin. 



