FAMILY, I— CAECHAEIID^. 719 



the pectoral: second dorsal arises slightly in advance of the anal. Caudal 3 to 3^ in the total length, and 

 considerably (one-third) exceeding the length of the interspace between the two dorsal fins. ColcJs-grzjv 

 superiorly, becoming slightly lighter on the sides and beneath. Numerous brown or dark gray spots over the 



Habitat. — Red Sea, seas of India to Japan, and beyond. 



Second group— Zygsenina, 

 Head produced laterally into the shape of a hammer. Nostrils on front edge of head. Teeth oblique, with a 



single cusp, having sharp and smooth edges. 



Genus, 4— Ztgjjna,* Guvier. 

 Gestracion Klein: Gestrorhmus, Blainv. : «p%r»a (Raf.), MiiU. and Henle: Eusphyrna and Benieeps, 



The anterior portion of the head is hroad, flattened, and laterally elongated, with the eyes situated at its 

 lateral &dremities and the nostrils at its fore border. A memhrana nictitans present. Spiracles absent. Mouth 

 creseentic. Teeth similar in loth jaws, oblique and notched. The fi/rst dorsal fin spineless, situated above the 

 mter space between the pectoral and the ventral : caudal with one notch, and a pit at the commmcement of theflm,. 



This genus of sharks is reputed to be very dangerous in some localities. The young are captured along 

 the shores of India in large numbers. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



1. Zygcena Blochii. Each lateral expansion of the side of the head two or three times as long as broad. 

 Indian Ocean. 



2. Zygcena malleus. The length of the hind edge of each lateral expansion of the head nearly or quite 

 equal to its width near the eye. Tropical and temperate seas. 



3. Zygcena tudes. Anterior edge of head curved but not continuous with the lateral one : the length 

 of the hind edge of each lateral expansion is less than its width near the eyes. Tropical and temperate seas. 



1. Zygaena Blochii, Plate OLXXXIV, fig. 4. 



Cuv. Regne Anim : Val. M^m. Mus. ix, p. 227, t. xi, f. 2 : Bennett, Life of Raffles, p. 694 : Cantor, Quart. 

 Med. Journ. Cal. 1837, and Trans. Med. and Phys. Soc. Cal. viii, pt. 2, Appendix, p. ccxi, and Ann. and Mag. 

 1845, xvi, p. 372 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 380. . 



Zygcena laticeps. Cantor, Quart. Med. Journ. Cal. 1837, pi. 1-3 (young). 



Sphyrna Blochii, Miill. and Henle, Plagios. pp. 64, 199 ; Bleeker, Plagios. p. 41, t. iii, f. 7 ; Cantor, 

 Catal. Mai. Fish. p. 404 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1861, p. 148 ; Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 36. 



Koman sorrah. Tarn. : Sappa sorrah, Tel. 



Each lateral expansion of the side of the head from twice to thrice as long as broad, and with a deep 

 groove along the anterior edge, reaching externally nearly as far as the orbit. The posterior edge of the lateral 

 expansion about as long as its anterior edge, while the external edge is nearly straight. Nostril much nearer the 

 mouth than the eye. ^yes — situated near the upper angle of the external edge of the lobe of the head. Teeth — 

 oblique, externally notched and smooth in their entire extent. Fins —the dorsal arises slightly behind the base 

 of the pectoral, extending nearly half way to above the ventral : second dorsal arising above the posterior half 

 of the anal, than which it is much smaller. Golowrs — of a deep gray or brownish-gray, becoming lighter 

 beneath : the fins are usually of a slightly deeper colour than the body. 



This is the commonest fonn on the Malabar coast of India, where the fishermen consider it attains ■ to a 

 very large size. Blyth found it to be also the most common species of the genus on the coast of Bengal, 

 observing that it rarely exceeded four feet in length. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, and beyond. The example figured (17"5 inches long) 

 came from Malabar. 



3. Zygaena malleus, Plate CLXXXVI, fig. 4. 



Squalus zygosna, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 399 : Bloch, t. cxvii : Bl. Schn. p. 131 : Lacep. i, p. 257 : Forst. 

 Desc. Anim. Leicht. p. xviii. : Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 6. 



Zygcena malleus, Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. 267 ; Val. Mpm. Mus. ix, 1832, p. 223, pi. xi, f. 1 ; Cantor, Quarterly 

 Medical Journ. Cal. 1837, f. 1 : Temm. and Schleg. Fauna Japon. Poiss. p. 306, pi. cxxxviii: Dekay, NewTork 

 Fauna, Fish. p. 362, pi. Ixii,' f. 204 : Bleeker, Plagiost. p. 42, t. iii, f . 8 r Storer, Mem. Amer. Acad, ix, 1867, 

 p. 229, pi. xxxviii, fig. 3 : Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, i, p. 70, pi. xvi; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 381 ; Klunz. Fisch. 

 Roth. Meer. 1871, p. 666. 



Zygcena Lewini, Grif&th, Cuv. Anim. King, x, p. 640, pi. 1. 



* Combim sorrah, Tarn. 



