46 TOPER. 



young I have met with was thirty-two, but fifty two have been 

 found. They remain n(3ar us in the winter, for I have met 

 with them in January; being then about twenty inches in length, 

 with three rows of teeth; the outer or oklest row of which had 

 only one notch on its edge. At this time the older fishes have 

 left the coast, and perhaps have retired to deeper waters. 



Among ourselves this fish is little regarded as food; but 

 Willoughby found it exposed for sale in the market at Rome; 

 and fishermen inform me that French people freely purchase it 

 for the same purpose. 



It grows to the length of six feet, but is not often found of 

 that size. The shape is somewhat round and slender, especially 

 towards the tail. The snout depressed and lengthened, and 

 diaphanous towards the borders; in fish of full size a narrow 

 fold of skin passes over the eye, but I have not observed it 

 in the young examples. Spiracles small and near the eye. 

 Nostrils small, near the border, and not lobed; mouth far be- 

 neath; teeth triangular, serrated on the posterior or inner edge 

 only; their position alternate in the rows. Gill openings above 

 the origin of the pectoral fins. The first dorsal fin nearer the 

 head than the tail, the second opposite the anal, the pectorals 

 wide near their origin. Upper lobe of the tail notched. Colour 

 a dark ash above, white below. The eye is oval, and the tablet 

 on which the globe of the eye is placed in most, if not all the 

 Sharks, as already mentioned, is less elevated or clearly marked 

 than in the other species with which I am acquainted. There 

 are also aome other particulars connected with the eye of this 

 fish, which appear to imply dirferent powers of visioa from those 

 of other species of Sharks. Tire outer coat or capsaie of the 

 eye-ball is firm, but it b-^comes thinner and more yielding at 

 the transparent cornea; wliirh, conseqaentiv, when pressed by 

 the direcior mu'A.iea, must b^jcoi'iie rriore convex; as we also 

 find in some biras, w/r-cn tliiis possess che faculty of adjusting 

 vision to djiiej'eiu dtgce^^s of di.-ifance The pu])!] is very small. 

 A nictitanc ca.eniOr:\^.y. oiined of a doubling of the eyelid, is 

 capable of being raised from the inner angle of the eye, to 

 cover two thirds of the eye-ball. 



