704 SURGEON F. DAY ON ANDAMAN-ISLAND FISHES. [Nov. |, 
Subclass CHONDROPTERYGII. 
Order PLAGIOSTOMATA. 
Family Carcuariip&. 
248. CARCHARIAS WALBEEHMII, Blkr. Hi-dah, And. 
249. CARCHARIAS MELANOPTERUS, Q. & G. 
This is the species from the liver of which most of the medicinal 
fish-liver-oil is prepared in the Government factory at Calicut. No 
livers are accepted under 40 1b., and one was received of 290 |b. 
weight. 
The presence or absence of the large marine Plagiostomes on the 
coasts of India greatly depends on the whereabouts of the Oil- 
Sardines and other shoals of Clupeide and Scombride. This is the 
chief reason why the western coast and Ceylon have so many more 
Sharks and Sawfishes than the eastern, where the Clupea neohowit 
and shoals of Clupeide and the Scomber kanagurta are comparatively 
rare. The Andamans, abounding in fish, possess their full comple- 
ment of Sharks. Where small fish are in plenty as food, the Sharks 
appear to prefer them to human beings. 
250. ZyG@NA BLOCHII, Cuv. 
Family Pristipz. 
251. Prisris cuspiDATUS, Latham. 
The livers of this fish are useful for medicinal oil; a female Saw- 
fish at Calicut, 14 feet long, had one of these glands weighing 183 Ib. 
Family RainoBpaTip&. 
252. RHYNCHOBATUS DJEDDENSIS, Forsk. 
253. RHINOBATUS GRANULATUS, Cuv. 
Family TryGonip2. 
254. TRYGON UARNAK, Forsk. 
Family MyLioBatTipz&. 
255. AETOBATIS NARINARI, Euphr. 2d-td-charm-dah, And. 
The foregoing list of 255 species of fish is interesting as demon- 
strating the enormous numbers of sorts which resort to the almost 
unfished grounds off the Andaman Islands, where the sea appears 
alive with the finny tribes. Here the Sharks and Sea-perches find 
abundance of food ; and the aborigines are able to sustain themselves 
by procuring fish from the sea, merely by the use of spears and 
bows and arrows. 
It must also be remarked that the time I spent there was very little 
above three weeks; and though it is true that I had every assistance 
from the local authorities and the aborigines, and spared no personal 
