147 
The ventral fins are peculiarly modified. They have a very forward 
position, the distance from the front margin of the disc to their anterior 
insertion, in relation to that between the latter point and the hinder 
edge of the disc, being as 3 is to 2. They are widely separated, the 
space between their anterior bases being more than that between the 
series of gill-slits. They are normally directed almost at right angles, 
horizontally, to the axis of the body, and their front margins and 
their rounded extremities are covered with thick skin; they are 
attached posteriorly far within the margin of the disc, to which they 
are so completely coalesced that a slight notch on the hinder edge of 
the disc is the only external evidence of their position and extent. 
The horizontal length of each fin is equal to their distance apart. 
The claspers of the male are small; they do not reach the hinder edge 
of the disc, and they are free from it for about half their exposed 
length. The single dorsal fin arises anterior to the hinder edge of the 
disc ; its length is one-fifth greater than its base, the latter being 
equal to the space between the outer margins of the spiracles. The 
tail is short, its length being 2°3 in the total; the caudal is rounded, 
its depth 1°3 in its length, or about the length of the snout; the ver- 
tebree directed as in Narcacion, before described. Under the dorsal 
fin the tail is depressed, but the free portion of the peduncle is com- 
pressed. A trace of lateral fold. 
Colours.—Cofiee-brown above, pale brown beneath, darker round 
the margin of the disc ; the mouth-parts and the margins of the ven- 
trals yellow. 
Total length, 375 mm. ; length of disc, 260 mm. 
Of two examples originally obtained in 1900, one was taken in 
Foveaux Strait and the other off Otago Heads. These situations 
furnish the limits between which we trawled the species, the depths 
being 36-102 fathoms, and the bottom sandy. 
Specimens were not obtained larger than that described, at which 
size they were fully adult and mature. 
Many of the females contained young, eleven being the largest 
number obtained from an individual, there being six in one oviduct 
and five in the other. At birth, when the yolk-sac is fully absorbed, 
they are of relatively large size, being 93 mm. in length, or one-fourth 
that of the parent (fig. 2). Examples at a length of 78 mm. still 
exhibit external gill-filaments. At 50mm. the disc is continuous 
round the snout. In specimens of 40mm. the pectorals are quite 
free, the gill-slits and spiracles are laterally placed, and the ventrals 
are not joined to the pectorals (fig. 3). As the embryo grows from 
the elongate shark-like stage, and the disc is formed, it increases in 
relative width; but at birth (fig. 2) it has not quite assumed the 
circular shape eventually attained. 
It may be noted that Narke, Kaup, 1826, should be used instead 
of Astape, Muller and Henle, 1837, as pointed out by Gill.* 
* Gill, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., xviii, 1896, p. 163. 
