Zoology."] 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. 



[Fishes. 



A, middle tooth and teeth of one 



side of upper jaw. 

 £, middle tooth and teeth of one side 



of lower jaw, natural size. 



The Sharks of this genus are easily dis- 

 tinguished from all others by having only 

 one dorsal fin, and the peculiar conformation 

 of the teeth, as well as the great size and 

 number of the gill-openings. The present 

 species belongs to the sub-genus Heptan- 

 chus, in which these reach the extraordinary 

 number of 7, and it is distinguished from 

 the other species of the sub-genus by having 

 a single or odd, not oblique, central subulate 

 tooth in each row in the middle of the upper 

 jaw. As the peculiarities of the teeth are 

 not quite distinct in the reduced figures 

 on the plate, I give a view in the adjoining 

 woodcut of the teeth of both jaws, natural 

 size. 



This is one of the rarer Sharks found in 

 Hobson's Bay, from which locality there are 

 three specimens in the Melbourne National 

 Museum, the one above described being the 

 largest of the three, and a female. A smaller 

 male is in the collection, with moderate 

 claspers. 



Explanation of Figures. 



Plate 43. — Fig. 2, side view of female, reduced. Fig. 2a, 

 front yiew of mouth, showing the dissimilarity of the upper and 

 lower rows of teeth (the bifid apex of the centre lower tooth 

 not sufficiently clear). Fig. 2b, side view of mouth. Fig. 2c, 

 first broad lateral tooth of lower jaw, natural size. Fig. 2d, 

 first lateral tooth of upper jaw, natural size. 



Frederick McCoy. 



[18] 



