Holt — Surveij of Fishing Grounds, West Coast of Ireland. 415^ 



BASKING- ^'H.A.'R'K—Selache maxima. 



The only specimen I had an opportunity of examining was a female, about 22 feet 

 long, that had been killed about a week previously (in April), and was in a semi-putrid 

 condition. The ovaries had apparently been removed with the liver. The oviducts 

 were wide and very thick-walled distally. Proximally there was a slight thickening in 

 the position of the oviducal gland, but the whole structure was so far gone, that I could 

 not be certain as to its nature. There was nothing in either oviduct. Two other 

 specimens, kiUed and examined by Sir Henry Gore-Booth in May, were males. 



It has been conjectured that the annual appearance of this shark upon this coast has 

 some connection with reproduction ; on this subject there is no evidence one way or the 

 other. Pennant speaks of an embryo, about a foot in length, being found in one of these 

 fishes. 



SMALL SPOTTED HOGr—Sctjllkm canicula. 

 In March, 2 females were approaching ripeness. In April, 7 males and 1 female 

 were approaching ripeness, and 5 females were ripe. In May, 2 males and 2 females 

 were approaching ripeness, and 5 males and 6 females were ripe. In June, 3 females 

 were not yet ripe, and 4 males and 5 females were ripe. In July, 2 males were nearly 

 ripe ; 1 female was ripe, and a male and a female were spent and ripe respectively. 

 It is not clear to which sex the entries apply. In August, 2 females were nearly ripe. 

 The egg-purses were frequently trawled, attached to sea-weed in Blacksod Eay and 

 similar shallow weedy ground. According to Dr. Harmer the eggs take 156 to 186 

 days to hatch ; 7 to 10 months according to observations at Southport Aquarium. 



NimSE — Scyllium catulus. 

 On the 5th May a female contained fully developed purses, at 2 to 3 fathoms in. 

 Blacksod Bay. According to Costa the eggs take 9 months to hatch. 



BLACK-MOUTHED DOG — Pristiuncs melanastomus. 

 A female of 29 inches contained fully-developed purses on the 12th May, at 2o0' 

 fathoms. The species probably spaM'ns only in deep water on this coast. 



PICKED DOG- — Acanthias vulgaris. 

 In March a female contained advanced embryos. In April, 3 females were ripe ; 

 1 of them had eggs, and another embryos in the oviducts. In May, 1 male was 

 approaching ripeness, and 12 were ripe. 3 females were ripe, and 2 of them contained 

 embryos. In June, 1 male was spent, 12 females were ripe; 5 of them had eggs, and 

 7 had embryos in the oviducts. In July, 20 females were ripe, and in August, 15 were- 

 ripe, and 3 were spent. It appears probable that the young are mostly liberated in 

 the summer (summer and autumn, according to Day), and perhaps to some extent all 

 the year round. Nothing definite seems known as to the period of intra- oviducal 

 development. 



SPINOUS SHARK — Echinorhinus spinosus. 

 A female of 96 inches was spent on the 1 9th August. 



