74 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



rough at tip and furnished with very small points. Eye small, 

 not prominent. Mouth transverse, rectilinear, armed with small 

 flat pentagonal teeth, a little separated in each jaw. Nostrils 

 small and canal communicating with mouth covered by a large 

 rounded appendice with fringed margin. Branchial apertures 5 

 on each side, subequal, subequidistant, and placed upon an oblique 

 line. Spiracles large, very near and behind eyes. Body above 

 glabrous, excepting on anterior pectoral margins, between eyes, 

 and on extremity of rostrum, which are rough to touch. Tail 

 very robust, margined with a slight membrane on each side, sub- 

 depressed, armed laterally with points, terminated by 3 rounded 

 fins, of which third is very small near tip of tail and others sub- 

 equal and larger. Pectoral large, triangular, terminating ob- 

 tusely on sides, narrow and rounded behind. Ventral emarginate, 

 wide before, narrow behind. Vent posterior to origin of ventral. 

 Color with scattered reddish-brown spots of various sizes and 

 forms, and a transversely oblong subocellated spot each side of 

 middle. Below whitish, lightly tinted w4th rosaceous, and sur- 

 face smooth. Towards anterior part of each side of vent 6 

 small black lines or spots. Ventral radii very distinct below. 

 Iris yellow. Length to base of tail 2 feet, width 2j^ feet, and 

 tail as long as space intervening between eyes and its base. From 

 a dried specimen in the Philadelphia Museum. 



The male has teeth discoidal at base, surmounted by a short 

 point directed towards throat, and less abraded than those of 

 female in which they are more flattened and pentagonal. Ros- 

 trum furnished above with points extending nearly to extremity 

 of fin, long, strong, inflected towards middle of back, quincunx, 

 and of 4 approximate rows. Orbits with small points before and 

 behind, rendering these parts rough to touch, but not so distinct 

 as those opposite eyes, otherwise skin is smooth. Tail depressed, 

 wide at base, armed on each side with row of spines and with 

 membrane beneath spines. Reddish above, beneath whitish, 

 sprinkled as above with small blackish spots. Size in agreement 

 with female. (Le Sueur.) 



This species occurs at times along various points of the 

 southern shore but in my experience is less abundant than the 

 former. It has been noted at Sea Isle City, Atlantic City, Stone 



