Chim.«iia. 
FISHES. CHONDROPT. 
17S 
Galeus acanthias Clusii, Will. Ich. 57 — Ch. mon. Linn: Syst. i. 401. 
Bloch.) Ich. tab. 124. Don. Brit. Fishes, tab. cxi. — In the north seas. 
Length nearly 3 feet. Body compressed. Head blunt, the .snout sub- 
ascending, blunt. A narrow crenulated grinder on each side in the lower 
jaw, and a broad tubercular one corresponding above. Nostrils immediately 
above the upper lip contiguous, each with a cartilaginous complicated 
valve. Bronchial openings in front of the pectorals. Eyes large, lateral. 
Ijateral line connected with numerous waved anastomosing grooves on the 
cheeks and face. On the crown in front of the eyes, a thin osseous plate, 
bent forwards, Avith a spinous disc at the extremity on the lower side. The 
first dorsal fin above the pectorals narrow, with a strong spine along the an- 
teal edge. The second dorsal arises immediately behind the first, is narrow, 
and is continued to the caudal one, where it terminates suddenly. The pec- 
torals are large, and subtriangular. Ventrals rounded, in front of each a 
broad recurved osseous plate, with recurved spines on the ventral edge. 
Claspers pedunculated, divided into three linear segments, the anteal one 
simple, the retral ones having the opposite edges covered with numerous small 
reflected spines. A small anal fin opposite the extremity of the second dor- 
sal. Caudal fin above and below, broadest near the origin, gradually decreas- 
ing to a linear produced thread. This species was known to Dr Walker as 
an inhabitant of the Zetland seas. The specimen, from which the preceding 
description was taken, was sent from thence through the kind attention of 
Laurence Edmonston, Esq. Surgeon, Unst, where it is termed the Babbit- 
fish. 
Gen. XVII. ACIPENSER. Sturgeon. — Mouth protrusile, 
without teeth. Snout conical. 
4 30. A. Sturio . — Body with five rows of large osseous scales. 
Merr. Pin. 188. Sihb. Scot. 25. Will Ich. 239. Linn. Syst. 403. Penn. 
Brit. Zool. iii. 124. Don. Brit. Fishes, tab. Ixv — Occasionally found 
in rivers. 
Length reaching to 18 feet. Body grey above, white below, pentangular. 
Snout slender, subdepressed, ’ hard. Mouth small, circular and tubular, be- 
tween which and the extremity of the snout are four beards in a transverse 
row. Eyes small. Nostrils double. Gill opening semicircular. A row of 
large radiated osseous scales, with a mesial crest, commences at the crown, 
and is continued to the tail ; another on each side of the body, and another on 
each side of the beUy ; the rest of the skin rough. Ail the fins are triangular. 
The anal and dorsal fins opposite.. Upper lobe of the tail considerably pro- 
duced. — This species is occasionally caught in the larger rivers by the salmon 
nets, in the summer season, having left the sea for the purpose of spawning. 
The fish referred to by Merret in his Pinax, p. 188, was probably the A. 
Huso. “ Acipenseri congener, cui valde similis excepto capite saporis deli- 
catissimi, captus erat in Insula Vecti, anno 1664. Ds. Cole, qui ipsum deli- 
neavit exsiccavitque.” 
At the conclusion of this enumeration of the Cartilaginous Fishes of this 
country, the Sea Snake, an animal which was cast ashore on Stronsa, Orkney, 
in 1808, merits some notice. It came ashore dead, and in a mutilated state. 
From the affidavits of those who had an opportunity of inspecting it, it appears 
to have been upwards of 55 feet in length, and not above 5 or 6 feet in circum- 
ference where thickest. Filaments, resembling a mane, extended along the 
back, the remnants, probably, of a dorsal fin ; and three articulated members 
on each side, presented themselves, probably the remains of pectorals, ventrals, 
