Zoology."] 



NATUEAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. 



[Fishes. 



Ft. 



ins. 



lines 







6 



6 







6 



3 







9 











8 











10 







1 



10 



6 







1 











7 











11 











2 







Measurements. 

 Length of base of 1st dorsal 

 Height of ditto 

 Length of base of ventral ... ... 



Height of ditto 



Depth of first lobe of caudal fin 



Length from anterior edge of 1st lobe to 



notch of caudal 

 Diameter of eye 



Width between middle of eyes ... 

 Length from tip of snout to spiracle 



„ of projection of snout ... 



Reference.= Carcharius taurus (Rafinesque), Caratt. 

 p. 10, t. 14., f. 1 ; Odontaspis id (Miiller and Henle), 

 Plagiostom. p. 73, t. 30. 



This is one of the largest and most ferocious 

 of our Sharks, and so common as to be an 

 object of great terror to bathers, who occa- 

 sionally suffer grievous lacerations when caught 

 swimming even near the shore, towards which 

 this species approaches into unusually shallow 

 water. 



The common name of Shovel-nosed Shark 

 is given by the bay fishermen often to this 

 species from the outline of the head, seen from 

 above, being like the point of an unworn 

 American or paddocking shovel in size and 

 shape. 



Enormous jaws of this species may often be 

 seen in the fishermen's huts along the shore 

 from Picnic Point to Mordialloc, and are easily 

 known by the length and slenderness of the 

 teeth, which are very numerous, about an inch 

 long, and set in three or four rows on the under 

 jaw, and two rows on the upper one, making a 

 fearful armature of spikes, the lacerated wound 

 produced by which is almost always fatal. One 

 or two small teeth are remarkable as inter- 

 vening between the third and fourth large ones 

 on each side. 



It is a very active and voracious species, 

 driving shoals of fish before it in terror as it 



[ 14] 



