1G6 



Galeods.- 



-FISHES.- 



-SpiNAcins. 



ineinbraiios. The single dorsal stands behind the ven- 

 trals, and partly before the front of the anal. The long 

 caudal is notched near the obliquely docked end, and 

 lias a small under lobe. The teeth are strongly ser- 

 rated. One genus, Hexanchus. has six stigmata ; the 

 other, Ileptanchus, has seven. One species, the Gray 

 Notidanus {HcxancJms griseus), has been taken off the 

 Isle of Wight and also on the Cornish coast. 



Family XIV.— SPINACIDS {Spinacidae). 



Tliis family and the two wliich immediately succeed 

 it form a division of the Sharks whioli is characterized 

 by Miiller and Henle as having spout-holes and two 

 dorsals, but neither anal nor nictitating membrane. 

 All tlie five stigmata are before the pectorals, and the 

 intestinal valve is soalariform. The Spiuacids are dis- 

 tinguished from the other two families by having a 

 stout spine in front of eacli dorsal. 



The genera are — Acnnlhias; 

 pliorus; and CentrosajUium. 



Sjiinax ; Centrina ; Centro- 



The Picked Dog -fish {Acanthias vulgaris) is very 

 common ou our coasts, so abundant, that Mr. Couch 

 says he has known twenty thousand to have been 

 taken at one cast of the sean. At one time these Dog- 

 fishes committed such ravages on the fislierics of Fin- 

 mark that eight vessels were fitted out expressly for 

 their capture, and though many thousands were taken 

 there was no sensible diminution of their numbers. 



Tills species would appear to be extremely prolific 

 periodically, and to have been no less annoying to 

 llie fishermen formerly than in later times. In the 

 "Domestic Annals of Scotland" by Robert Glialmers, we 

 find the following quotation from the Journal of Spal- 

 ding, the Town-clerk of Aberdeen : — " 1642. From 

 the beginning of this year up to June there was a 

 scarcity of white-fish along the east coast, to the hurt 

 and hunger of the poor, and beggaring of the fishermen. 

 It was reported that when the fisliers had laid their 

 lines and taken fishes abundantly, there came ane beast 

 called the Sea-dog to the lines, and ate and destroyed 

 the haill bodies, and left nothing on the hues but the 

 heads. A judgment surely from God Almighty, for 

 the like scarcity of fishes to conthiue so long has scarcely 

 been seen in Scotland ; whilk bred great dearth of meal 



and malt, at aught, nine, or ten pounds the boll, ani 



all other meats also very dear." 



Family XV.— SCYMNIDS [Sajmnida). 



Witli the same number of fins and spout-holes as 

 the Spinacids, this family is recognized by the absence 

 of spines in the dorsals. The upper teeth are pointed ; 

 the lower ones trenchant and not denticulated. 



Tlie r^nncra .are — Scymnns; Lamargus ; EcliinovUlnus ; ami 

 rrUtuijihurus. 



Valentine's Sea-hound {Scymnus lichia) is reported 

 to have been taken on the British coasts, but details 

 are wanting. The Greenland Shark {Lwmargus borc- 

 aUs) has been several times captured in the Scottisli 

 seas ; and the Spinous Shark [Echinorkinus spinosus) 

 has been caught off Yorkshire and on the Cornish 

 coasts, 



Pristiophorus is a genus differing remarkably from 

 the rest of the group in having the snout elongated 

 like a flat sword-blade, set on each side with sharp 

 slender teeth of dill'erent lengths. 



Family XVI.— SQUATINIDS {Squatinidcn). 



Head and body depressed ; the broad pectorals and 

 ventrals laterally spread out so as to resemble the 

 Ri.ys ; the stigmata ensconced in the deep slit that 

 separates the pectorals from the head, but not opening 

 on the ventral aspect as in the Rays. Tlie large spout- 

 holes are behind the eyes, which are on the dorsal 

 aspect, and the mouth transversely cleft is at the 

 extremity of the snout. There is no anal fin. The 

 family is represented by a single genus and species 

 called the Angel-fish {Squatina angelus), which occurs 

 in considerable numbers on our coasts and is very 

 voracious, devoiu'ing ground-fishes greedily. 



A shark caught at Bermuda measured eighteen feet 

 in length, and its jaws, when extended to the utmost, 

 admitted three grown-up persons to stand upright 

 between them ; and the Rangoon Chronicle of the .3rd 

 March, 1854, mentions the capture of a shark of tliose 

 seas which had a length of thirty-five feet — (Simmons, 

 Cur. of Food). Dr. Barclay describes some fragments 

 of an enormous shark. 



Okder XII.— BATIDES (Rays or Skates). 



Tins order, named Rociien or RAiiE by Mllller and 

 Ilerile, is composed of flatly-depressed Plagiostomes, 

 having spout-holes, five stigmata of a side opening on 

 the ventral aspect under the pectorals ; a complete 

 Bcapulo-coracoid girdle soldered above to the vertebra; 

 adjoining the skull ; a cephalopterous cartilage, and 

 the upper eyelids either closely adherent to the eye or 



altogether absent. Jliiller and Ilenle group them in 

 the following way : — 



A. First division. — Squatinorai^k. — Batiiles having the 

 liead elongated into a ilat snout ; and a robust, fleshy 

 tail with lateral keels ; two dorsals and a terminal fin 

 supjiorted by rays. The teelh are flat, resembling a 

 mosaic pavement ; arid the ujijjer eyelids are adnata. 

 The families are — PKiSTiD.«i: and ItniNOBATiOjE. 



