Plagiostomata of the Pacific. Pt. I. Fam. Heterodontidae / by N. de Miklouho-Maclay and William Macleay.

  • Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay
Date:
[1878]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Plagiostomata of the Pacific. Pt. I. Fam. Heterodontidae / by N. de Miklouho-Maclay and William Macleay. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    or spirit preserved specimens admitted. But all who have studied the Anatomy of Pishes, as indeed of most of the verte- brates, must have ascertained that a true knowledge of an animal can only be attained by its examination in a perfectly fresh state. It is in this view that Baron M.-Maclayhas occupied himself, during his stay here for the benefit of his health, in the continuation of his study of the Brains of tbe Sharks and Rays,* a species of investigation, which, above all others, requires the supply of fresh specimens. While chiefly directing his attention to the Brain, the Baron has, at the same time, made such notes and illustrations of the general appearance and anatomy of the different species as cfip.raed desirable or necessary to fill up gaps in their history. share I take in this paper is at the Baron’s request, to r and describe the species to which his anatomical details and if in doing this, I appear, in some instances, to be ribing species already well known, it is because I have that even for the most simple specific characters, dried ens cannot be relied upon; aud I am anxious to take age of this opportunity to give careful and correct des- □s from living subjects. he subject proposed in the heading of this paper is an ive one, and the Baron’s work will proceed in whatever on specimens may be procured for dissection, these papers >t appear in any particular order, and consequently, any cs as to classification, &c., must be reserved to the last. . paper will be limited to the Family of Heterodontid^:, istraciontidvE, of Gunther, Gat. Fish, Brit. Mus., vol. VIII, >. many years it was believed that the only living repre- ive of this once numerous family of sharks was the fish ill known as “ The Port Jackson Shark.” And though ouum species have since been found in other parts of the Pacific, it may still be looked upon as almost exclusively an Australian group. The period of their existence in other parts of the world is long since past. * Vide N. von\Milcluho-Maclay Baitriigo zur Vergleichendur Neurologie dcr Wirbel- thiore. Th. 1 and 2. Leipzig, 1870. [3]