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Show 704 SURGEON *. DAY ON ANDAMAN-ISLAND FISHES. [Nov. I, Subclass CHONDROPTERYGII. Order PLAGIOSTOMATA. Family CARCHARIID^E. 248. CARCHARIAS WALBEEHMII, Blkr. Ei-dah, And. 249. CARCHARIAS MELANOPTERUS, Q. & G. This is the species from the liver of which most of the medicinal fish-liver-oil is prepared in the Government factory at Calicut. No livers are accepted under 40 lb., and one was received of 290 lb. weight. The presence or absence of the large marine Plagiostomes on the coasts of India greatly depends on the whereabouts of the Oil- Sardines and other shoals of Clupeidae and Scombridee. This is the chief reason why the western coast and Ceylon have so many more Sharks and Sawfishes than the eastern, where the Clupea neohowii and shoals of Clupeidae and the Scomber kanagurta are comparatively rare. The Andamans, abounding in fish, possess their full complement of Sharks. Where small fish are in plenty as food, the Sharks appear to prefer them to human beings. 250. ZYGJENA BLOCHII, CUV. Family PmsTiDiE. 251. PRISTIS CUSPIDATUS, Latham. The livers of this fish are useful for medicinal oil; a female Sawfish at Calicut, 14 feet long, had one of these glands weighing 185 lb. Family RHINOBATID^E. 252. R H Y N C H O B A T U S DJEDDENSIS, Forsk. 253. RHINOBATUS GRANULATUS, CUV. Family TRYGONID^:. 254. TRYGON UARNAK, Forsk. Family MYLIOBATIDJE. 255. AETOBATIS NARINARI, Euphr. Ra-ta-charm dah, And. The foregoing list of 255 species of fish is interesting as demonstrating the enormous numbers of sorts which resort to the almost unfished grounds off the Andaman Islands, where the sea .appears alive with the finny tribes. Here the Sharks and Sea-perches find abundance of food ; and the aborigines are able to sustain themselves by procuring fish from the sea, merely by the use of spears and bows and arrows. It must also be remarked that the time I spent there was very little above three weeks ; and though it is true that I had every assistance from the local authorities and the aborigines, and spared no personal |
