Fishes of Massachusetts. 541 
tures, approximating, and near the pectorals, but iy 
they differ in having a short obtuse snout. Pectoral, 
ventral and dorsal fins very small ; dorsals without 
spines, caudal as in Spinaz. 
S. brevipinna. Le Sueur. The Nurse, or Sleeper. 
Journal Academy Nat. Sciences, vol. i. p. 222, et fig. 
In a paper upon the * Chondropterigious fishes" 
contained in the first volume of the ** Journal of the 
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia," Le 
Sueur observes, “Near Marblehead in Massachusetts, 
the fishermen take a kind of shark which they call 
Nurse, or Sleeper, doubtless from its inactive or 
sluggish habits. It is considered rare on their coast. 
From a skin recently prepared by them, I have been. 
enabled to make the following observations : j 
Lateral line black, undulating at the head, and 
marked in its whole length with small transverse 
lines; tail wide, emarginate ; the first dorsal mid- 
way between the pectoral and the anal fins, the 
second a little further than the ventrals, and both 
very near the tail. Body elongated, with a slight _ 
elevation, and narrow at the tail; spiracles distant ^ 
from the eyes, and more elevated ; jo. P small, 
round, and situated laterally ; the pectoral fin: 
were larger than the others, except the caud 
four inches at the base, and at most five inchen in 
length. This individual, from the end of the snout 
to that of the tail, was six feet five inches long ; and 
we may regard it asa shark with very small fins, 
whence its motion must be slow, and confined to E 
