312 PLAGIOSTOMATA. 



places where they are captured on a soft oozy bottom, also at the Isle of Man. Off 

 Scotland, according to Parnell, it is rarely eaten, but along the coast of Devonshire 

 and Cornwall it is not quite rejected, but made into morghi, or sea-dog soup. 



Habitat. — The coasts of Europe, extending through the Mediterranean. 



Very common in the Orkneys and Shetlands (W. Baikie, Zool. 1853, p. 3846), 

 occasionally found at Banff (Edward) ; Aberdeen (Sim) ; not uncommon in the 

 Bay at St. Andrew's (Mcintosh), but rare off Berwickshire (Johnston) ; Firth of 

 Forth comparatively rare (Parnell). Not uncommon off Yorkshire (Yorkshire 

 Vertebrata) ; found off Norfolk (Lowe), common off Devonshire (Parfitt) and 

 along our south coast ( Yarrell) ; commonest form of small shark in Cornwall, also 

 at Guernsey ; Swansea (Dillwyn) . 



In Ireland it is common around the coast. Ogilby observes that at Portrush 

 it is common, especially on rocky or mixed ground, and is termed Morlog. 



The example figured is a male 27 inches long, from Mevagissey. It attains to 

 at least 3^ feet in length off our coasts. 



2. Scyllium catulus, Plate CLIX, fig. 2. 



Galeus stellaris 'minor, Belon. p. 74. Canicula saxatilis. Rondel, p. 383. 

 Catulus major, Salvian. i, p. 138, c. fig. ; Aldrov. p. 390 ; Willughby, p. 62, t. 

 B4, fig. 1 ; Ray, Synop. Pise. p. 22. Squalus, sp. Artedi, Genera, p. 69, no. 12 ; 

 Gronov. Mus. Ich. ii, p. 45, no. 200 and Zoo. p. 32, no. 145. Spotted dog-fish, 

 variety. Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776), iii, p. 114, and (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 150. 

 EocJc shark, Shaw, Gen. Zool. v, p. 336. Le Ghat rochier, Duhamel, Peches, iii, 

 sect, ix, p. 304, pi. xxii, f. 2, 3. 



Squalus stellaris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 390 ; Bonn. Ency. Ich. p. 7, pi. vi, f. 17 ; 

 Lacep. i, p. 233, pi. x, f . 1 ; Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 312, and Eur. Merid. iii, p. 116 ; 

 Gronov. ed Gray, p. 5. 



Squalus canicula, Briinn. Ich. Massil. p. 4 ; Bloch, t. cxii ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1490 ; 

 Bl. Schn. p. 126. 



Squalus catulus, Turton, p. 112. 



Scyllium catulus, Cuv. Regne Anim. ; Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, p. 410 ; 

 Johnston, Berwick. N. F. Club, 1833, vi, p. 15 ; Miill. and Henle, p. 9, pi. vii ; 

 Gray, Catal. Cart. Fish. p. 60 ; Socage and Capello, Peix. Plagios. p. 11 ; 

 Yarrell, Brit. Fishes (ed. 1) ii, p. 373, c. fig. (ed. 2) ii, p. 493 (ed. 3) ii, p. 477; White, 

 Catal. p. 124 ; Templeton, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1837 (2) i, p. 413 ; Dumeril. Ich. i, 

 p. 316 ; Costa, Compt. Rend. 1867, p. 90, and Ann. and Mag. 1867, xix, p. 227 ; 

 Moreau, Poiss. dela Prance, i, p. 280, fig. 36. 



Scyllium stellare, Plem. Brit. An. p. 165 ; Jenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 496 ; Bonap. 

 Faun. Ital. Peso. pi. cxxxi, fig. 2 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 402 ; Malm, CBfv. Ak. 

 Forh. 1875, no. 10, p. 33 and Fauna, p. 622 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, 

 p. 247 ; Canestrini, Fauna d'ltalia, Pesci, p. SO ; Giglioli, Peso. Ital. Cat. p. 62. 



Nurse-hound, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, i, p. 11, pi. i. 



Resembles the last species, with the following exceptions : — Snout not so 

 obtuse ; valves of nostrils separated in the median line, and not reaching to the 

 mouth : a short labial fold at angles of lower jaw. Teeth- small ; those of lower 

 jaw destitute of any lateral cusp. Fins — ventrals out nearly square, their posterior 

 edges meeting at an obtuse angle, while they are united or not so according to 

 the sex. Anal fin terminates beneath the middle of the dorsal. Skin somewhat 

 rougher than in the S. canicula. Vertebrse 134. Colours — brownish or reddish- 

 gray, under surface whitish ; spots larger and darker than in the last species. 

 Their colour varies with that of the ground which they frequent, being lighter 

 when from sandy localities. 



Names. — Large-spotted dog-fish, owing to the large size of the marks on its 

 body; mirse-hound, bounce, cat-fish : hull-huss (Folkestone). Ci ysgarmes, Welsh. 

 La petite Bousette, French. 



Habits. — A bottom-feeder, frequenting rocky ground, and having the same 

 nocturnal habits as the last species, but appears to keep in deeper waters. 



Means of capture. — Trawls and lines, being often taken on a baited hook. 



