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Show 284 PISCES. and by the nostl'ils opening near the mouth, continued in a groove extending to the edge of the lip, and more or less closed by one or , two cutaneous lobules. The teeth have a point in the middle, and two smaller ones on the sides. There are spiracles and an anal fin; the dorsals are placed very far back, the first never being further forward than the ventrals; the caudal is elongated, not forked and truncated; the bt·anchial apertures are partly under the pectorals. In some of them the anal corresponds to the interval between the two dorsals: such are the two species of the coast of Europe that are frequently confounded, the Sq. canicula, L.; La Grande Roussette; BI., 114; Ronde!., 380; Lacep. I, x, I. Numerous small spots; the ventrals ob· liquely truncated. Sq. catulus, and stellaris, L.; La Roc/tier; Ronde!., 383; Lacep., I, ix, 2. Fewer but larger spots sometimes ocellated; ventrals cut square. A third species from the same locality is marked with black and white spots.(l) In others, all of them foreign to Europe, the anal is attached be. hind the second dorsal, the spiracles are singularly small, the fifth branchial opening is frequently concealed in the fout·th, and the nasal lobules are usually prolonged into cirri.(2) Under the name of SQUALus, properly so termed, We include all the species with a prominent snout, under which are placed nostrils neither prolonged in a furrow nor furnished with lobules; there is a lobule on the under pat·t of the caudal which ap· proximates it more or less to the bifurcated form. The old arrange· ment may l>e preserved which is founded on the presence or absence (1) Add the Roussette of Artedi, Risso, Ed. II, f. 5, or Squalus prionu1'tts, Otto.; -the Roussette of Gunner (Squalus catulus, Gunn. ), Mem. Soc. Drouth., IT, pl. i, which appears to be a peculiar species;-the Sq. Edwardsii (Edw., 289), under the erroneous name of the Greater Cat:fislt, which would indicate the Roussette, and which is ;mproperly quoted as the pretended Sq. stellaris;-thc Sq. africanw, or galonrd, of Broussonnet (Sh., Nat. Misc. 346). N.B. That the term longitudi· nalibus: gratuitously added by Gmelin, is not correct;-the pretended Sq. cani· cula, HI., U.2, which is a distinct foreign species, unless it be a very uncommon variety of the Catulus. (2) The Sq. pointille, Lacep., II, iv, 3, the same as the Sq. barbillon, Brouss., (Sq. barbatus, Gm.), and as the Sq. punctatus, Schn., Parra., pl. 34, f, 2;-the Sq. tigre, Lac., or Sq. Ja$ciatus, BI., 113 (S. tigrinus and S. longicaudus, Gm.);the S. lobatus, Schn., Phil. Voy. pl. 43, p. 285;-the Bokee sorra, Russ., Corom.l XVI. CIIONDROPTERYGII BRANCHIIS FIXIS. 285 of the spiracJes and anal; in order to make it a natural one, however, we must increase the number of its divisions. Species without spiracles, provided with an anal. CAROHARIAs, Cuv.( 1) A numerous and by far the most celebrated tribe; with trenchant, pointed teeth, most commonly dentated on the margin. The first dorsal is far before the ventrals, and the second about opposite to the anal. The spiracles are wanting; the nostrils are placed under the middle of the depressed snout, and the last branchial apertures extend over the pee torals. Sq. carcharias, L.; Belon, 60. ( 2) (The White Shark.) This species attains the length of twenty-five feet, and is recognized by its teeth, which in the upper jaw nearly form isosceles triangles with rectilinear and dentated sides. The lower ones consist of narrow points placed on wider bases, te;rific weapons, which are the dread of mariners. It would appear that it inhabits ever~ sea, but its name has frequently been applied to other species with trenchant teeth. Sq. vulpes, L.; Ronde!., 387. (The Fox Shark.) Teeth forming pointed isosceles triangles in each jaw, and particularly distinguished by the upper lobe of the tail, which is as long as the entire body. The second dorsal and anal, on the contrary, are extremely small.(3) Sq. glaucus, L.; Bl., 86. (The Blue Shark.) Body slender, of a slate-blue above; pectorals very long and pointed; upper teeth forming curvilinear triangles bent outwards: the lower ones straighter, all of them dentated.( 4) The (l) Oarcharias, the Greek name of some large Squalus, synonymous with Lamia . . (2) N.B. This figure of Belon is the only good one. Most of the others are mcorrect. BI., 119, is a very different species, which appears more allied to Scymnus;- Gunner, Mem. of Dronth., II, pl. x and xi, the same described by Fabr., Groen!., 127, is another species also allied to Scymnus;-Rondel., 390, copied Aldrov., 383, is the cornubicus, us well as Aldrov., 388, where the anal is torn away an~ the jaws, Id., 382;-I will not name the monstrous figure of Gesner, 173, copied Will., B. 7;-Lacep., I, viii, 1, is the Sq. ustus. (3) It is on this last character that the genus ALOPIAS, naf., is founded. ~4) Add; Sq. ustus, Dum. (Sq. carcltaria minor, Forsk.,) Lac., I, viii, 1;-Re-qluam a· nageoz•r es noires, Quoy and Gaym., Zool. de Freycin. pl. 43, f. 1;-Sq. g. _uque, Lac., I, ix, 1, which differs from that of Bl. ;-Sq. ciliaris, Schn., pl. 31, the :of which only denotes its extreme juvenility. The Palasorralt and the Surraah, Russ., XIV and XV, and a large number of new ones to be described in our lcthyology. \ |