Volume 1
Natural history of Victoria : prodromus of the zoology of Victoria; or figures and descriptions of the living species of all classes of the Victorian indigenous animals / by Frederick McCoy.
- Frederick McCoy
- Date:
- [1885-90]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Natural history of Victoria : prodromus of the zoology of Victoria; or figures and descriptions of the living species of all classes of the Victorian indigenous animals / by Frederick McCoy. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![Measurements— continued. Width of mouth „ between middle of upper edge of orbits Length from tip of snout to line connecting middle of uppei edge of orbits of base of pectoral anterior edge of pectoral base of 1st dorsal anterior edge of 1st dorsal base of 2nd dorsal anterior edge of 2nd dorsal posterior edge of 2nd dorsal ... base of anal anterior margin of anal posterior „ „ Width of flu bordering the middle of upper caudal lobe, on lower edge Width of lobe of same at point Depth in front of 1st dorsal Length of upper tooth next middle from apex to middle of base Width Length of lower tooth „ „ „ Width Ft. ins. lines. 0 4 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0 7 6 1 5 0 0 7 6 0 10 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 16 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 9 0 0 7 0 0 3± 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 2j 0 0 2J Reference.— = Squalus vulpes (Lin.), Syst. Nat. v. 1, p. 1496 = Alopecias id. (Mull. & Hen.) Plagiost., p. 74, t. 35, f. 1; Couch, F.B.L., v. 1, t. 7. This most curious Shark differs from all others in the inordinate length of the upper lobe of the tail, which varies a little, hut about equals the whole body in length, or is usually a little over half the total length. The name “Thresher” arises from the strange habit this fish has of giving loud sounding blows to whales and other large bodies in the sea with its long slender tail as a thresher does with his flail. The Fox-Shark is a common name in England for this species. It is one of the rarest Sharks of our seas, only two examples having occurred to my knowledge on the Victorian coasts ; of one of which a sketch was sent to me many years ago by a fisherman at H astings, and the figured specimen from the same place is now in the Museum at Melbourne. It is perfectly identical in all respects with the European species, and thus is one of the few fishes having a perfectly world-wide distribution. Explanation of Figures. Plate 88.—Fig. 1, side view, reduced to 1-15th natural size. Fig. la, under view of head to show form of mouth and position of nostrils. Fig. lb, nostril, natural size. Fig. lc, form of section at hinder third of body. Fig. lrf, upper tooth, natural size. Fig. le, lower tooth, natural size. Frederick McCoy. [ 28 ]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24757469_0001_0548.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
