PRISTIS_, THE SAW-FISH. 135 



enormous prolongation of the snout (^fig. 12.), which is 

 straight_, fiat, and nearly of equal breadth throughout : 



12 



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the tip is obtuse ; but the sides are armed with a 

 single row of strong acute spines, pointing outwards so 

 as to resemble a very wide-toothed comb.* Cuvier 

 observes, that the anterior sides are sharp or cutting ; 

 but this is certainly not the fact in regard to such as 

 we have examined. With this weapon, as it is said, 

 the saw-fish attacks its prey, and even encounters the 

 large Cetacea, or whales. The mouth, placed quite 

 beneath the snout, is furnished with small rounded 

 teeth, close together, as in the rays ; and, as in that 

 family, the branchial apertures are placed beneath the 

 pectoral fins. It possesses, alsot, another character of 

 the rays, in the nasal cartilage already alluded to. On 

 the other hand, its affinity to the sharks is shown in 

 the general elongated form of the body ; but more 

 especially by that peculiar character, which distinguishes 

 the SqualidcB, of having the pectoral fins totally free 

 and unattached to the head or snout, — a formation, how- 

 ever, which is hkewise seen in Squatina. Nevertheless, 

 the pectoral fins in Pristis are not dilated from the 

 base, as in Squatina; and the general structure of this 

 and all the other fins is precisely the same as those of 

 the true sharks. The temporal orifices are large, and 

 placed behind the eye ; while the teeth, in the gene- 

 rality of the species, are flat and tesselatedj the 



* A species now before us, from Tropical America, has no less than 28|of 

 these teeth on each side the snout ; it is probably the Pristis pectinatus. 

 + Mentioned by Drs. Muller and Henle. 



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