456 



FISHES 



the Eight Whale, which it attacks, biting pieces out of its body. 

 Scymnus is viviparous, Laemargus oviparous, and the latter is 

 unique among Sharks in producing eggs devoid of a horny shell, 

 which are deposited on the sea-bottom. Uchinorhinvs has dermal 

 denticles in the form of relatively large rounded tubercles, each 

 surmounted by a tuft of fine spines. One species only is known, 

 U. sjnnos'us, a large Shark attaining a length of 10 feet, and 

 frequenting deep water off the Atlantic coasts of Europe and 

 Africa from the North Sea to the Cape of Good Hope. A single 

 specimen has been taken at Cape Cod on the eastern coast of 

 the United States, and another off Dunedin, New Zealand. 

 The capture of thirty examples in British waters since 1828 

 has been recorded,^ the largest a female 9 feet in length. 



Most of the existing genera of Spinacidae are represented by 

 teeth or detached spines in the later Tertiary deposits, but none 

 are certainly known to occur earlier than the Pliocene. 



Fam. 14. Rhinidae (Angel-Sharks). — Eay-like Sharks with a 

 flattened head and body, and nearly terminal mouth and nostrils. 

 Pectoral fins very large, horizontally expanded, but constricted 

 at the base and not adherent to the sides of the head or trunk. 



Pig. 261. — The Angel-Shark (Rhina sqnatina). A, dorsal view ; B, view of the mouth 

 and nasal barbels, p.f. Pectoral fin ; pv.f, pelvic fin ; sp, spiracle. 



Two dorsal fins, both small, without spines, and situated on the 

 tail behind the pelvic fins. Anal fin absent. Spiracles large 



1 Day, op. cit. p. 324. See also Stead, journ. Mar. Biol. Ass. iv. 1895-97, 

 p. 264. 



