Zoology.-] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Fishes; 



those having a transversely moving or winking eyelid, rising over 

 two-thirds of the eye-ball from the inner corner of the oval eye. 



The young when brought forth are about 1 foot long, from thirty 

 to fifty being found in a single female. At this size the unabsorbed 

 portion of the egg^ 1 inch in diameter, hangs from them. It is a 

 very interesting sight to see, in summer, the whole band of twenty 

 or thirty little ones swimming about after, and generally under the 

 parent, with an obvious display of mutual affection which is not 

 looked for in fish which are not viviparous like this. 



Like the English Tope (which has thirty or forty young twice a 

 year), this is a most prolific Dog-fish, and is so abundant and so 

 voracious for its size as to seriously affect the supply of the smaller 

 sorts of fish, and is much hated by the fishermen accordingly. It 

 is exceedingly active, and has the same habit as its European 

 representative of swiftly rolling the line round its body when 

 hooked, coming thus to the surface. It is more frequently caught 

 by persons fishing with a fine from the end of the piers for Flat- 

 heads than the latter. 



This sj)ecies has not been figured before. 



Explanation of Figures. 

 Plate 64. — Fig. 2, profile view of female, reduced. Fig. 2a, under side of head to show- 

 form of snout, mouth, and nostrils. Fig. 2b, upper lateral tooth, natural size (most of the teeth 

 in old specimens have the cusp longer and narrower, with a more marked notch between it and 

 the serrated base than in the figured example). Fig. 2c, lower lateral tooth, natural size. 



Frederick McCoy. 



[18] 



