FISHES OF NEW YORK 35 



pointed, its length nearly one fourth of the total in half grown 

 individuals; eye small, longer than deep, its length one fifth that 

 of the snout, which is nearly one fourth as long 'as the head. 

 The spiracle is located behind the eye at a distance equal to 

 three times the diameter of the eye. Two rows of teeth in func- 

 tion in upper jaw and three rows in low^er; longest tooth of the 

 \(n\ov jaw as long as the eye, slightly longer than the longest 

 tooth of the upper jaw; teeth long, awl-shaped, mostly with one 

 or two small cusps at the base, the first and fourth of upper 

 jaw and the' first of lower jaw without cusps. Space occupied 

 by gill openings equals one fourth of the length of the head; 

 the depth of the gill openings equals four times the length of 

 the eye. The distance from the snout to the nostril equals the 

 distance between the nostrils. The width of the mouth, includ- 

 ing the labial folds, equals two fifths of the length of the head. 

 The first dorsal base is entirely within the first half of the total 

 length; it is about one third as long as the head, and somewhat 

 exceeds the hight of the fin. The pectoral is one half as long as 

 the head and, when extended, does not quite reach the vertical 

 through the dorsal origin. The ventral origin is slightly behind 

 the end of the first dorsal base; the length of the fin is nearly 

 one third of that of the head. The caudal, measured from the 

 pit at its root, forms two sevenths of the total length. 



This small but voracious shark is common on our Atlantic 

 coast, specially from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras. It preys on 

 the smaller fishes. The last individual observed by me in Great 

 South bay daring the summer of 1898 was swimming close to 

 the surface near the inlet at Fire Island, SeiDtember 16. 



Mitchill described this shark under the name of the ground 

 shark (S q u a 1 u s 1 i t t o r a 1 i s) in the Amorioan Montlilji 

 Magazine for March 1818, p. 328. His specimen was caught in a 

 set net near New York city, and measured about 5 feet. He 

 mentions a larger individual, 8 feet 9 inches long, which weighed 

 upward of 150 pounds. The fishermen called the fish ground 

 shark because it is usually found along chores, or withiQ 

 soundings. 



