ON THE GENUS SqUALUS OF LINNE. 65 



sistance he has often rendered me in zoology,) 

 the above name is taken. As the specimen is in 

 a dried state, nothing can be said as to its colour. 

 I may observe, however, that the nostrils are 

 placed on the base of the porrected nose, as may 

 be indistinctly seen in the annexed outline. It 

 may be questioned whether it be an undescribed 

 species. I am of opinion, that it is the Basking 

 Shark of Mr Pennant : it agrees with his descrip- 

 tion, which w^as drawn from a recent specimen on 

 Xhe shores of Loch Ranza, Isle of Arran. The 

 figure, it may be argued, is altogether different ; 

 but when I inform the Society, that all or most of 

 the figures which disgrace the work of that emi- 

 nent zoologist, were made by an ignorant artist, 

 and still more stupid engraver, who fashioned the 

 animal to suit their fancy, carefully rounding 

 angles, to give an elegance to their works, the 

 objection will cease. Still, it may be enquired. 

 Is Pennant's basking shark the SqijALVs maaimus 

 of Linne ? or are we to consider that figured 

 by Mr Home in the Philosophical Transactions, as 

 referable to that species ? These gentlemen have 

 most clearly described two very distinct species 

 under the same name. La Cepede, in his Histoire 

 des PoissonSy has figured Pennant's Basking Shark 

 as Squalus maiimus of Linne, calling it Squale 

 tris grand. The length of the specimen of 

 SquALus Selanonus, which is preserved in the 

 Museum of this University, is about eight feet 

 and a half. 



VOL. 11. E 



