66 



BASKING SHARK. 



ticularly referred to was thirty-one feet and about eight inches, 

 nineteen feet round, and the mouth was five feet and a half 

 wide; extent of the tail six feet nine inches; the weight said 

 to be eight tons. As it lay on the ground the height of the 

 body was eight feet and a half. The skin rough; eyes small; 

 spiracles between the eyes and upper portion of the gill openings; 

 upper jaw longest, but not greatly protruded; the teeth about 

 an inch long, blunt at the top, and but slightly compressed; 

 the body rising behind the eyes; a strong ridge at the sides 

 near the tail; a depression above and below at the root of the 

 tail. Pectorals rather long, and ending in a point. The first 

 dorsal about midway between the ventrals and pectorals, and 

 wide and high; the second dorsal about midway between the 

 ventral fins and anal, smaller than the first dorsal, but larger 

 than the anal. Colour, dark on the back, but in some examples 

 it is described as blue, lighter on the sides, and white below. 

 Fleming says the liver of a full-sized fish yields from eight to 

 twelve barrels of oil; and that of the Cornish specimen, above 

 referred to, produced one hundred and ninety-eight gallons; 

 two examples, of about thirty feet, at Broadhav^n, in Scotland, 

 yielded almost nineteen barrels, of which eight make a ton. 



TEETH, ETC., OF GREENLAND SHARK. 



1. -Single tooth. 



2. Under jaw, outside view. 



3. Under jaw, inside view. 



4. Eye, with parasite attached to it. 



