300 PLAGIOSTOMATA. 



Genus II — Alopias, Rafinesque. 



Mouth crescentic. No membrana nictitans to the eye. Spiracles minute, close 

 behind the orbit. Teeth of rather small size, flattened and triangular, having smooth 

 edges. Gill-openings of medium size. The first dorsal fin spineless, inserted above 

 the interspace between the pectoral and ventral fins : the second dorsal above the inter- 

 space between the ventral and anal, the latter being small. Caudal very long, with a 

 pit at its commencement. No heel on the side of the tail. 



Some authors consider this genus of sharks is the type of a distinct family. 

 Geographical distribution. — Temperate and tropical seas. 



1. Alopias vulpes, Plate CLVIL 



Vtdpes, Rondel, p. 387 ; Gesner, De Aquat. 1598, p. 80, c. fig. Simia, Belon. 

 p. 65. Vulpecula, Salv. p. 134, pi. xlii; Aldrov. p 396; Jonston, p. 27, t. vii, f. 3; 

 Will. p. 54, t. B6, f. 2 ; Ray, Synop. Pise. p. 20. Gercus, J. Caius, De rar. anim. 

 hist. 1570, p. 111. Squalus, Artedi, Gen. p. 68, Synon. p. 96. Galeus Cauda 

 longa, Klein, Mss. iii, p. 10. Renard marin, Duhamel, Peches, ii, sect, ix, p. 303, 

 pi. xxi, f. 1, 2. Sea-fox, Borlase, Cornwall, p. 265. Long-tailed sharh, Pennant, 

 Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 110, pi. xiv (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 145, pi. x vii. 



Squalus vulpes, Gmel. Linn. p. 1496 ; Bonnaterre, Ency. Ich. p. 9, pi. lxxv, 

 f. 349; Lacepede, i, p. 267; Bl. Schn. p. 127; Turton, p. 112; Mitchell, Phil, 

 and Lit. Trans. New York, 1815, i, p. 482; Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 36; Blainville, 

 Fauna France, p. 94,* pi. xiv, f. 1 ; Jenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 498. 



Garcharias vulpes, Cuv. Regne Anim. ; Risso, Eur. Merid. iii, p. 120 ; Flem. 

 Brit. An. p. 167; Templeton, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1837 (2) i, p. 413; Tarrell, Brit. 

 Fish. (ed. 1) ii, p. 379, c. fig. (ed. 2) ii, p. 522 ; Storer, Mem. Amer. Acad, 

 ix, 1867, p. 221, pi. xxxvi, f . 3 ; De Kay, New York Fauna, Fish. p. 348, 

 pi. lxi, f. 190 ; Guichen. Expl. Alger, p. 124, and in Gay's Chile, Zool. ii, p. 363 ; 

 Thompson's Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 250. 



Alopias vulpes, Bonap. Fauna Ital. Pesc. iii, p. 66, c. fig. ; Miiller and Henle, 

 p. 74, pi. xxxv, f . 1. (teeth) ; Swainson, Fish, ii, p. 313 ; Gill, Catal. Fish. N.-East 

 Coast North America, p. 60 ; Kroyer, Danm. Fisk. iii, p. 929, c. fig. ; Gray, 

 Cat. Chond. p. 64 ; White, Catal. p. 131 ; Storer, 1. c. ii, p. 505 ; Dumeril, Ich. 

 i, p. 421; Bocage and Capello, Peix. Plagiost. p. 14 ; Moreau, Poiss. de la France, 

 i, p. 287. 



Alopecias vulpes, Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (ed. 3) ii, p. 512, c. fig. ; Gunther, Catal. 

 viii, p. 393 ; Collett, Norges Fiske, p. 208 ; Giglioli, Cat. Pesc. Ital. p. 52. 



Alopias macrourus, Rafin. Caratt. p. 12. 



Squalus alopecias, Gronov. ed Gray, p. 7. 



Thrasher, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, i, p. 37, pi. vii. 



Body fusiform, gradually diminishing to the caudal fin, the great length of 

 which, about half of the total, gives the shark a very elongated appearance. Snout 

 short and conical. Eyes — rather large. Nostrils beneath and nearer the anterior 

 border of the mouth than to the end of the snout. The gill-openings of median 

 size, the last two being over the pectoral fin. Spiracles very small, situated at a 



short but varying distance behind the orbit. Teeth — about ff+fl in the two jaws 

 (Moreau), the third or fourth tooth on either side of the centre in the upper jaw 

 is small, the remainder are of rather small size, triangular in shape, standing on 

 a wide base, flattened and with smooth edges. Fins — first dorsal inserted above 

 the commencement of the interspace between the pectoral and the ventral, it is 



