Fishes. 3281 



Offering little resistance, they soon succeeded in fastening a rope round the hase of the 

 projecting dorsal, and by this was it dragged onwards until landed in the harbour. 

 Notice of the achievement was speedily sent to me, but being from home — to the cre- 

 dit of our fishers be it spoken— they moored the prize in the spot, and preserved it in- 

 tact for nearly three days to await my return. On going down to the harbour, before 

 I was aware, a dozen sturdy fellows were by my side, and getting them fixed in the 

 rope attached to the captive, we made out, after no slight effort, to haul him up on the 

 beach. He was then found to measure 5 feet 9 inches in length, and 3 feet 6 inches 

 in depth of body. The depth of the pectoral fin was 10 inches, that of the dorsal and 

 anal fins 1 foot and 1 inches respectively. Upon the inferior surface of his body was a 

 cluster of parasites, which, from Yarrell's ' Fishes ' (ii. 353) I conjecture to have been 

 Tristoma coccineum. I had no convenient means of ascertaining the weight of the 

 carcass ; but after being lightened of the internal viscera, it was found to be quite suf- 

 ficient load for an ordinary work-horse. The points, however, to which I particularly 

 desire attention, are the tail and skin, as these, in the two examples I have met with, 

 differ considerably from every figure, as well as from all the descriptions I have pe- 

 rused. In the figures, the outline of the caudal fin is by much too regular, and its 

 rays far too distinctly marked, which may perhaps be accounted for, as in the case of 

 Mr. Yarrell's figure, by the likenesses having been taken from young specimens. In 

 the examples referred to, the tail-fin was cut into seven ample rounded scallops, the 

 three in the middle being the largest ; while the structure of the fin was completely 

 concealed, being so deeply overlaid by the common integuments, that there was no 

 indication of either ray or joint, until, on laying hold of it with the hand, it was found 

 to move freely backwards and forwards, showing a length of about ten inches. The 

 base of the middle scallop measured 2f inches. A perpendicular from the middle of 

 this base-line to the most prominent point in the curve of the scallop, measured about 

 l£ inch ; the others gradually decreased in size, each however corresponding in every 

 way to its opposite in position. Both Mr. Yarrell and Dr. Parnell describe the skin 

 as rough, but " without spines ; " in these specimens the contrary was the case. I 

 send with this a shred of the skin, which you will see is very thickly set with spines of 

 a peculiar type. They may be readily detached from the skin, when they show the ra- 

 diated base, as in the spine of the spinous shark, and they are also recurved, the point 

 of the spine being directed to the tail. But, what does not appear in the case of the 

 shark referred to, they are compressed longitudinally with respect to the body of the 

 animal, and serrated on the top, reminding one of the jagged cutting edge of one form 

 of the honey-combed variety of the human incisor. They are besides furnished with 

 lateral tufts of hair, imparting to the whole a rough bristly aspect. Some of the spines 

 will be observed to be regular ; but I consider the prevailing form will be found to be 

 as I have said. The smell of the skin when recent, and indeed of the body generally, 

 resembles that of Goniaster equestris. — George Harris ; Gamrie, Banffshire, Septem- 

 ber 23, 1851. 



Note on the Spinous Shark, (Acanthias horridus). — Since I have mentioned the 

 spinous shark, allow me a remark on the specimen referred to by Mr. Smith of Mon- 

 quhitter, (Zool. 3057). I have little doubt of the specimen being as he describes it, 

 and a female too, as it contained a mass of eggs, in size from that of a filbert to that 

 of the egg of a common hen, which were entangled in a membranous-looking viscus. 

 I am puzzled, however, as regards the dentition, and the more so after looking into 

 the Supplement to Yarrell's most valuable * History of British Fishes,' where at page 



ix 2q 



