SPINACIDJB. 325 



September 7th, 1870, a second, 8 feet long, also taken with hook and line, about 

 one mile oflf shore, and on about the same spot as the previous specimen (Zool. 

 1870, p. 2347), and a third on May 17th, 1875, 5 feet 1 inch long, when he 

 observes " this is the third that I have seen, and it confirms my opinion that there 

 is a spinous ground shark and a spinous swimming shark ; it was caught on a hook 

 and line, and the man who took it asserted he took one 7 feet long earlier in the 

 year, and observed that the spines of the fins of the two sharks were phosphores- 

 cent after night, even when the fish was- fresh " (Zool. 1875, p. 4501). On 

 January 17th, 1877, a fourth, 8 feet long, also in Mount's Bay, captured on a hook 

 and line (Zool. p. 108). A fifth on December 12th, 1881, 8 feet 4 inches long, 

 with hook and line, also in Mount's Bay, in about 14 fathoms of water (Zool. 1882, 

 p. 22). July 23rd, 1836, one was taken near Land's End (Yarrell). Mr. More has 

 recorded one from Ireland, captured September 25th, 1882, near Skerries, about 

 15 miles to the north of Dublin (Zool. 1882, p. 424). 



The specimen figured is 7| feet long, stuffed and in the National Collection ; 

 the teeth (2 a) and skin (2 b) are from the Aberdeen example, and were sent 

 me by Mr. Sim. The largest British specimen I can find recorded is one 9 feet long, 

 taken off the Eddystone in 1869. Couch's figure is from one 8 j feet long, obtained 

 by Mr. Cocks at Falmouth. Risso mentions one from the Mediterranean 

 which weighed 400 lbs. 



