452 PEOF. ST. GEOEGE MIVAET ON THE 



SQUATINA ANGELUS. 

 DosAL Fin (Plate LXXVII. fig. 5). 



This fin is supported by two large basal plates, to the distal margins of which four 

 much smaller subquadrate cartilages are attached. 



The anterior basal plate is subquadrate ; the postaxial one is triangular. 



They are evidently in series with the long cartilaginous spines, which surmount more 

 preaxially placed vertebrse. Both these spines and the basal cartilages seem discon- 

 tinuous with the subjacent axial skeleton. This is the case not only in the large dry 

 specimen figured, but also in a very young specimen which I have had the oppor- 

 tunity of examining. 



Paired Fins. 



If the pectoral and ventral fins of Squatina be compared, it seems evident that the 

 elongated basal cartilage of the ventral answers to the metapterygium of the pectoral, 

 and the preaxial plate, apparently formed of coalesced radials of the ventral, to the 

 propterygium of the pectoral. 



PRISTIOPHORUS JAPONICUS. 



FiKST Dorsal Fin (Plate LXXVII. fig. 6). 



This fin is supported by two very large cartilaginous plates, which are directly con- 

 tinuous proximally with the interneural plates of the axial skeleton. Between them is 

 interposed another small plate continuous with a single interneural cartilage. Distally 

 they support a row of small cartilages, to a few of which yet smaller cartilaginous 

 nodules are distally appended. 



The plates are in series with other superaxial plates more anteriorly placed, and which 

 are also continuous with the subjacent interneural cartilages. 



The Second Dorsal Fin (Plate LXXVII. fig. 7). 



This is very like the preceding, save that the small cartilage interposed between the 

 two large basal plates is somewhat bigger. 



The Ventral Fin (Plate LXXVIII. fig. 2). 



Here the radials are mostly attached to the elongated basal cartilage ; but the pelvic 

 cartilage supports a single short radial, to the side of which four progressively elongated 

 radials are successively attached. The more anterior radials.are segmented; the more 

 postaxial pair have coalesced proximally, and join the postaxial end of the basal 

 cartilage. 



