538 MR. p. L. SCLATER ON A NEW PARROT, [DcC. 7, 



suborder, but I venture at least to suggest that the genus may be 

 regarded as the type of a new family ; and utilizing, as far ns 

 possible, the structural features that commonly enter into the 

 diagnoses of zoologists who study living forms, it may be provisionally 

 defined as follows. 



Order Selachii. 



Suborder Tectospondyli. 



Family Squaloraiid^. 



Body scarcely depressed, elongate. Head produced into along flat 

 rostrum, without lateral teeth. Males with a prehensile spine on the 

 upper part of the snout. Dentition sharply divided at the symphysis. 

 Pectoral fins with small propterygium, free. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE LV. 



Fig. 1. Skeleton of Squaloraja polyspondi/la (male), dorsal aspect. [No. I.] 

 a.v, situation of auditory openiugs ; b.s, basipterygium of pelvic fin ; 

 ci (fl and b). cirri ; c/, clasper ; cor, coracoid ; d, edge of skin ; hk, 

 dermal booklets ; km, hyomandibular ; il, iliac process ; itr, inter- 

 trabecular rostrum ; mfp, metapterygium ; oc.c, occipital condyle ; 

 p.pb, prepubic process ; pa.tr, palato -trabecular region ; pms, preaxial 

 basal cartilage of pectoral fin ; pr.pa, prepalatine process ; pt.pa, 

 postpalatine (antorbital) process ; pub, pubic cartilage ; r, cartila- 

 ginous fin-rays ; r.s, rostral spine ; s.sc, suprascapula ; t, dentition ; 

 V, vertebral column. 



2. Skull of ditto (male), dorsal aspect. [No. IV.] Eefs. as above. 



3. Skull of ditto (young femnle), ventral aspect. [No. III.] c.f, carotid 



foramen (?) ; iv.m, investing mass ; n, notocbordal sheath. 



4. Dental plate of right mandibular ramus of ditto, tvfice nat. size. 



[No. IIL] 



5. Eostral spine of Squalaraja, sp., side view. [No. V.] h, booklets ; g, 



lateral groove. 



6. Eostral spine of Squaloraja tenuispina, dorsal view. [No. VIII.] 



7. Tail of Sqtialoraja 'polyspc/tidyla (young female). [No. III.] 



8. Section of vertebra of ditto. [No. II.] 



All the specimens are from the Lower Lias of Lyme Regis, and preserved in 

 the British Museum. With the exception of fig. 4, the drawings are of the 

 natural size. 



3. On an apparently new Parrot of the Genus Conurus 

 living in the Society's Gardens. By P. L. Sclatee^ 

 M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., Secretary to the Society. 

 [Eeceived October 29, 1886.] 

 (Plate LVI.) 



On the 29th of April last we purchased of Mr. Cross, of Liverpool, 

 an example of a Parrot of the genus Conwus, which seems to be 

 different from every other species of the genus yet described. The 

 bird, which is still living in the Parrot-house, is at once distinguish- 

 able from its congeners by its red throat and collar, whence I 

 propose to call it 



