FAMILY, I-PEISTID^. 729 



pairs of broad teeth, those on one side (generally the right) often exceeding in number those on the other. This 

 teething is absent m the foetus, while in the immature it only exists in the anterior 3/4 of the snout, and in the 

 adult a considerable portion of the base is unarmed. Usually the anterior six pairs of teeth are opposite one 

 another, and the posterior teeth in the immature are mostly barbed behind. Mouth transverse, with a membranous 

 valve (fringed m the young) behind the teeth in the upper jaw, and with a deep notch near the symphysis. 

 The pupil is transverse, with a semi-circular flap above and another below ; these flaps are easily raised, 

 depressed, or expanded, according to the stimulus of light received, which they can partially or entirely 

 exclude : lens very soft. Spiracles large, nearly transverse, posterior to the eyes, half a diameter of the eye 

 in width. Nostrils situated about one-and-a-half transverse lengths from the mouth : they have long triangular 

 narrow valves in their upper, and a hemlike one at their lower margins : their distance asunder posteriorly 

 equals their length, and is twice as much anteriorly. Teei^— small, longer than broad. Fins— the first dorsal 

 commences just behind the ventral : the second dorsal midway between the posterior extremity of the first 

 dorsal and the base of the caudal. The two dorsals are of equal size, their upper margins concave, and the 

 posterior lobe of each produced. Posterior margin of the caudal deeply excavated so as to form two lobes. A 

 keel passes along the tail, dividing the lateral from the abdominal surfaces. Colours — grayish-yellow above, 

 whitish beneath. Iris golden, with a black edge. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago : ascending rivers. Attaining 20 feet and upwards in 

 length. The flesh is equally esteemed with that of the sharks. The fins are prepared and sent to China : oil 

 is extracted from the livers, whilst the skins are useful for sword scabbards or for smoothing down wood. The 

 example figured, a little over 3 feet in length, was from Madras. 



B. — Caudal fm without any distinct loioer lohe. 



2. Pristia Perrotteti, Plate OXCI, fig. 1. 



? Pristis microdon, Latham, Trans. Linn. Soc. 1794, ii, p. 280, t. xxvi, f. 4 {rostrum). 

 Pristis Perrotteti, Mnll. and Henle, Plagios. p. 108 ; Dumeril, Hist. Nat. Poiss. i, p. 474; Giinther, 

 Catal. viii, p. 436. 



Pristis antiquorvm, Costa, Fauna Eegn. Nap. Peso. t. viii, ix ; Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 36. 

 Pristis microdon, Bleeker, Beng. p. 80, and Plagios. p. 54. 



Rostrum of moderate breadth, rather narrow anteriorly, armed with from seventeen to twenty pairs of 

 teeth, mostly of about the same number on either side, and commencing at the base of the snout : the 

 first four pairs being opposite one another, and the breadth of the base of each anteriorly being about equal 

 to 1/3 of the interspace. Spiracles placed very obliquely, from 1 to li diameters behind the orbit. Teeth — 

 larger than in P. cuspidatus or P. zysron, oval, longer than broad. Fins — the first dorsal almost entirely in 

 advance of the ventral : second dorsal commences nearly midway between the posterior extremity of the 

 first dorsal and the base of the caudal : these two fins are of about equal size : inferior margin of caudal with 

 a faint indication of a lobe. Colours — reddish-brown superiorly, becoming dull-white along the abdominal 

 surface : iris golden, with a black edge. 



Blyth observes, 1. c. Pristis antiquorum, Latham : " Small individuals are not unfrequently brought to the 

 Bazaar." As I could find in the Calcutta Museum only several small stuffed examples of P. Perrotteti without 

 labels, and none of P. antiquorum, I consider Mr. Blyth to have alluded to this species. Dr. Giinther remarks 

 that " there is no possibility of distinguishing those (isolated rostra) of Pristis antiquorum, from those of 

 P. Perrotteti." 



Sabitat. — Tropical seas, entering rivers. In the Mahanuddee river it ascends at least forty miles from 

 the sea, far beyond influence of the tides and salt water, where I obtained it to 4 ft. in length. In Orissa it is 

 only eaten by the sweepers and the very lowest castes. 



3. Pristis zysron, Plate CXCI, fig. 2. 



Bleeker, Plagios. p. 55 ; Dumeril, Hist. Nat. Poiss. i, p. 479 ; Gunther, Catal. viii, p. 438. 

 Pristis duhius, Bleeker, Plagios. p. 56 ; Dumeril, Hist. Nat. Poiss. i, p. 478. 

 ? Pristis peotinatus, Klunz. Fische Roth. Meer. 1871, p. 673. 



Vella sorrah, Tamil. 



Rostrum intermediate in width between P. cuspidatus and P. Perrotteti, of about the same breadth 

 throughout, and armed with from twenty-five to thirty-two pairs of teeth, of mostly the same number on 

 either side: they commence just anterior to the base of the snout, the posterior ones are much further apart 

 than the anterior ones. Teeth — intermediate in size between P. cuspidatus and P. Perrotteti. Fins — first dorsal 

 almost entirely behind the ventrals : second dorsal, as large or larger than the first, is situated rather near to 

 the root of the caudal to which its posterior lobe almost reaches : caudal without a lower lobe. Colours— 

 sandy-brown, becoming lighter beneath. 



This species is perhaps more common in the seas of India than P. cuspidatus. It is especially abundant 

 along the Meckran and Sind coasts, where it is much dreaded. 



Eabitat.—Sea,s of India to the Malay Archipelago. Attaining at least 20 ft. in length. The example 



figured (thirty-four inches long) was from Madras. 



5 A 



