Acquisitions at the British Museum (Natural History)

Abstract

RECENT acquisitions by the Department of Zoology include a specimen of the frilled shark (Chlamydo-selachus) caught by a trawler off the west of Ireland. This is the first occasion on which this species has occurred in British waters. It was first discovered off the Japanese coasts. The frilled shark is of great interest on account of the many primitive characters which it possesses. The mouth is at the end of the snout, instead of being underhung as in most living sharks. There are six gill openings on each side instead of the usual five, and the teeth are of a curious comb-like shape. The body is much more slender and eel-like than in other sharks, and in several ways it approaches some of the very ancient types of fossil shark-like fishes. Through the generosity of the trustees of the Salisbury, South Wilts and Blackmore Museum, the Department of Geology has received a large number of fossil invertebrates and fishes, forming part of the collection made by the late Dr. H. P. Blackmore from the Chalk in the vicinity of Salisbury. A further valuable instalment of 488 specimens of Swiss minerals, representing 59 carefully recorded localities, collected by himself, has been presented by Mr. F. N. Ashcroft to the Department of Minerals.