130 CLASSIFICATION OP FISHES. 



5. Cerictius. No spiracles : two dorsal fins ; the 

 posterior much larger and bilobed; anal one : branchial 

 apertures five on each side : tail unequal, oblique : 

 head with two bony appendages in the form of horns. — 

 Obs\ The two appendages, or rather horns, which this 

 genus bears on the head, give it an aspect of great sin- 

 gularity, and readily distinguish it from the next genus.* 



6. Alopias. "No spiracles : two dorsal fins; the pos- 

 terior adipose ; the ventral is single, and also adi- 

 pose : branchial openings five on each side : tail as 

 long as the body, oblique, unequal." Of this one spe- 

 cies, A. macrourus, is described, which, our author 

 remarks, has some affinity to Galeus vulpecula, or 

 Squalus vulpecula Linn.; but is distinguished by the 

 absence of spiracles, by its adipose fins, its greater 

 size (12 or 14 feet), &c. The mouth is small ; the 

 teeth are minute, acute, flat, and disposed in different 

 waysf ; the eyes are large and much sunk. 



7. Heptraxchias. No spiracle : a single dorsal and 

 anal fin : branchial openings seven on each side : tail 

 unequal, oblique. Our author does not describe, or ap- 

 pear to have seen, the only species he thinks belongs to 

 this genus, which, he says, is the Squalus cinereus of 

 Lacepede. 



8. Galeus. Spiracles two : two dorsal fins, and one 

 anal : branchial apertures five on each side : tail un- 

 equal, oblique. — Obs. The greater part of the Squali of 

 authors are now placed in this genus, which is distin- 

 guished from that of Squalus\aLS restricted by our author) 

 by the presence of an anal fin. 



genus. Isurcs oryrynchus . — "Grey above, white beneath : snout very 

 acute: lateral line apparent, and rather curved : base of the tail angulated, 

 and nearly winged on each side : the branchial apertures are very long and 

 narrow : each jaw has three rows of teeth near the palate : eyes small and 

 round : the hinder dorsal opposite the anal. It grows to the length of ten 

 feet, and is called Pesce~tondo." 



* The only species enumerated of this most extraordinary genus (which 

 seems absolutely unknown to all succeeding writers), is thus described : — 



" C. macrourus. Above bluish black ; beneath white : appendages obtuse, 

 recurved towards the eyes : tail forming one third the total length. This 

 rare fish is called by the Sicilians Pesce diavolo, on account of its horns. 

 One was caught off* Palermo in March, 1806, which measured eight feet, 

 and weighed six Sicilian cantars." 



f " in diversi ordini." 



