144 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [vo. 48 
except five longitudinal smooth bands one dorsal median and two pairs lat- 
eral. The ventral lateral band seems to be continuous to the keel on each 
side of the tail (fig. 1). 
“The eyes very small, situated at the sides of the head near the margin 
of the colored portion of the head. The nictitating membrane wanting. The 
spiracles are nearly the same in size and are on the same level, with the eyes. 
The nostrils are at the anterior extremity of the head. They open at the 
labial boundary of the mouth. 
“The mouth is nearly straight and opens at the anterior extremity of the 
head too. A labial fold from the nostril to the corner of the mouth on the 
upper jaw and a shorter fold from the corner of the mouth on the lower 
jaw (fig. 2). 
“The teeth are very minute and numerous. They are nearly equal in size 
and shape. Each tooth is acutely pointed, laterally compressed and with an 
ellipsoidal root. The band of teeth on the upper jaw is curved a little and 
at each end of the band there is a detached group of teeth. The band on the 
lower jaw is crescent shaped. In each band the teeth are arranged in a 
great many transverse rows, about 300 in number. In the middle part of the 
band we count 16-30 teeth in one row. 
“The gill openings are five in number and are very wide. The second pair 
is widest and measures 86 cm. The last pair is most narrow, it opens above 
the base of the pectoral fins, where the body is very broad and high. The 
pectoral fins are large and strong. The first dorsal fin is inserted a little 
behind the middle of the body. The second dorsal fin is very small. The 
ventral fins are inserted below the first dorsal. The clasper is simple with 
a dorsal groove. The anal fin is very small. It is just below the second 
dorsal. The caudal fin is large and lunate. Its ventral lobe is well de- 
veloped. 
“The color is greyish brown with white round spots and transverse bands, 
but the ventral side is colorless. The white round spots are small and 
crowded near the anterior end of the body but become gradually larger and 
fewer backwards. The caudal fin, the second dorsal the ventrals and the 
anal are destitute of white markings. 
“The stuffed animal now measures 800 cm in length and 365 cm in cir- 
cumference, behind the pectorals. Mr. Oseko tells me that the skin has 
shrunk much and that the fish measured nearly 1000 cm when fresh. He 
says, moreover, that the shark was covered with many sucking fishes and one 
of these fishes and a pole made of oak (ca. 30 cm long) were found in the 
stomach. 
“Though the hitherto-known allied species (Rhinodon typicus Smith and 
Micristodus punctatus Gill) are described insufficiently, I am inclined to be- 
UU 
Fie. 18.—Section of dental plate. Fic. 19.—Teeth of Rhinodon typicus as 
represented by Muller and Henle. 
