490 



SQUALID.E. 



Among the Sharks, as among the truly predacious birds, 

 the females are larger than the males ; and almost all the spe- 

 cies have received some name resembling Beagle, Hound, 

 Rough Hound, Smooth Hound, Dog-fish, Spotted Dog, 

 Penny Dog, &c. probably from their habit of following their 

 prey or hunting in company or packs. All the Sharks are 

 exceedingly tenacious of life. Their skins, of very variable 

 degrees of roughness, according to the species, are used for 

 different purposes ; in some instances by cabinet makers, for 

 bringing up and smoothing the surfaces of hard wood. 



The two British species of Spotted Sharks appear to have 

 been frequently confounded with each other. The terms 

 Greater and Lesser seem sometimes to have been considered 

 as referring to the size of the spots, and at others to the size 

 of the fish. A slight alteration in the names, which is here 

 suggested, will assist in defining the two species, and other 

 decided specific distinctions will be pointed out. Both spe- 

 cies are called Roussette by the French, on account of their 

 prevailing reddish brown colour. 



The Small-spotted Dog-fish, the subject of the present 

 notice, is one of the most common species on our shores, 

 particularly along the southern coast. Its station in the 

 water is near the bottom ; its food, small fish and Crustacea. 

 It takes a bait freely, and is often caught on the fishermen's 

 lines, but is a useless capture to them. It is troublesome 

 and annoying from its numbers, and injurious to the fisheries 

 from its voracity. 



The teeth of the Sharks are very for- 

 midable weapons, generally constructed 

 decidedly either for cutting or holding. 

 The teeth of the Shark now under consi- 

 deration is of the form here shown. The 

 outside tooth in the front row of each jaw 



