SQUALINiE. SQUATINA. 1S7 



at present, we may certainly affirm that the general 

 shape of these animals (of which two species are known) 

 seems a compound of both the typical forms. The 

 hinder parts are those of a shark, while the broad de- 

 pressed head is that of a ray^ and it is just of such a 

 form as we might imagine to intervene between a 

 Torpedo and a Rhinobates. Our European species^ 

 C. angelorurrij is generally called the angel- fish. The 

 body_, but especially the head_, is flattened ; and the eyes, 

 like those of all the rays, are vertical, or placed upon 

 the crown ; behind these are spiracles; while the bran- 

 chial apertures are not, as in the sharks, on the sides, but 

 placed beneath : the pectorals are very broad, and the 

 mouth terminal. In the American species {Jig. 13.), the 



upper jaw has two flattened and somewhat triangular 

 cirri : the teeth are broad at their base, but slender 

 and sharp at their points. The Squalus aculeatus of 

 authors has been also referred to this genus, to which 

 it is evidently related ; but whether by analogy or 

 affinity appears somewhat questionable. For the pre- 

 sent, we feel disposed to follow our predecessors in 

 placing Squatina in this family; where, if it truly 

 enters, it comes in as the chironectiform type of the 

 whole circle. Leaving the three aberrant groups, we 

 shall now proceed to the two which are typical. 



(120.) We place the sub-family of Squalin^e as the 

 next in order, because it seems connected to the Zyga- 

 nincB by its pointed teeth, and by the want of those 

 remarkable temporal orifices, or spiracles, which seem 



