90 



BRANCH VERTEBRATA. 



in numerous rows, held by strong skin upon the rounded 

 edge of the jaws ; but only the outer row stands per- 

 pendicularly and can be used. As fast as any drop out 

 from wear or fracture, inner ones move forward to take 

 their place. The H<un mcr-lcad Shark is sometimes thirty 

 feet long. Its eyes are at the end of the lateral prolonga- 

 tions of the head, which can be bent so that the shark 

 can see its victim on both sides as it settles down upon it. 



ORDER RAJII (ra'II). 



The Rays are noted for their enormous pectoral fins, 

 formidable tail, and tessellated teeth. FIG 155 



They sometimes weigh half a ton. 



FIG. 154. 



Jaws of a Ray, showing tessellated teeth. 



The teeth are adapted to crushing 

 shell-fish ; while the tail, armed with 



Dasi/b'atis ce/ttrii' rus. 

 Sting-ray. 



his head under water and then haul him lip two or three feet to let it run down 

 his throat. At last he was nearly drowned, when, sending a running bow-line 

 down the rope by which ho was caught, and making it taut under his back fin, 

 we clapped the line around the windlass and turned. Some then hauled his tail 

 up, while all available hands dragged at the other line, which held his head. As 

 soon as we got him on board, he broke off about three feet of the ship's bulwarks 

 by a single lash of his tremendous tail. This was then cut off by the boatswain 

 with a hatchet, while a dozen of us with bowie-knives finished him. We found 

 in his stomach six large snakes, two empty quart bottles, two dozen lobsters, a 

 sheep-skin, and horns, and the shank-bones, which the cook had thrown overboard 

 two days before. The liver fdled two large wash-deck tubs, and when tried out, 

 gave xis ten gallons of oil." 



