common to the Shark and Pilot- FJ/h. 3^5 



their advantage, refumed their former route. During the 

 various movements which they made, the (hark never loft 

 fight of them, or rather followed them as exactly as if he had 

 been dragged by them. 



He had no fooner been defcried than one of the failors got 

 ready a large hook, which he baited with lard; but the {hark 

 and his companions had already proceeded to the diftance of 

 20 or 25 millimetres before the failor had made all his pre- 

 parations : he, however, threw the piece of lard into the fea 

 at a venture. The noife occafioned by its fall was heard at 

 a confiderable diftance. The travellers were aftonifhed, and 

 Hopped. The two pilots then detached themfelves, and went 

 to explore at the poop of the veflel. The (hark during their 

 abfence fported in a thoufand ways at the furface of the 

 water; turned himfelf on his back, then on his belly, and 

 dived to a greater depth, but always re-appeared at the fame 

 place. When the two pilots came to the poop of the Alcefte 

 they paired clofe to. the lard, and no fooner obferved it than 

 they returned to the mark with a greater velocity than they 

 advanced to it. When they reached it, the latter continued 

 his courfe. The pilots then fwimming one on his right and 

 the other on his left, made every effort to get before him* 

 Scarcely had they done fo when they fuddenly returned, and 

 then went back a fecond time to the poop of the veffel. They 

 were followed by the (hark, who was enabled by the fagacity 

 of his companions to perceive the prey deftined for him. It 

 has been faid that the (hark is endowed with a very delicate 

 fenfe of fmelling. I paid a great deal of attention to what 

 took place on his approaching the lard. It appeared to me 

 that he did not difcover it till the moment it was pointed out 

 to him by his guides; it was then only that he began to 

 fwim with greater velocity, or rather made a jump to feize 

 it. He detached a portion of it without being hooked ; but at 

 the fecond attempt the hook penetrated the left lip, by which 

 means he was hoifted on board. 



It was not till the end of two hours, during which I was 

 employed in anatomizing the (hark, that 1 began to regret I 

 had not obferved more accurately the fpecies which had de- 

 voted themfelves fo readily to the fervice of this voracious 

 fifli. I was affured that fome of them might be eafilv pro- 

 cured, as it was certain they had not quitted the neighbour- 

 hood of the veflel; and a few moments after I was prefentcd 

 with an individual, which I found to belong to the pilot or 

 Janfre des marins, and the gajierojhus dutior of the naturalifts. 



It would be, no doubt, curious to inquire what intereft can 

 induce animals fo different in their organization, their fize, 



Z 2 and 



