MONSTER BASKING SHARK. 215 



almost motionless — is by far the largest of our native 

 fishes. It is the *' sun-fish " of the west coast of Ii-eland 

 fishermen. 



In September, 1868, a gentleman wrote me, saying, 

 '' A basking shark has been washed ashore on the 

 north-west side of Achill Island ; length, 27ft. ; 12ft. 

 round at largest part ; pointed snout, and gills in slits; 

 teeth half an inch long, set in six rows. Inside the 

 mouth were several rows of short black bristles ; the 

 skin coarse and rough. The liver contained a quantity 

 of oil." 



BASKING SHARK. 



Li March, 1875, I received intelligence from Mr. 

 H. Hadfield, of Highcliff, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, that 

 an exceedingly large shark was ashore on the ledge, 

 about half a mile to the westward of Shanklin Chine. 

 The dimensions of this fish were — length from snout to 

 end of tail, 28ft. lOin. ; circumference of body, 15ft. ; 

 head, 6ft. lOin. in length; upper jaw, 3ft. 2in. ; lower 

 jaw, 2ft. 4in. I was very anxious to make a cast of 

 this fish, but the expense was too heavy for me. 



The British Museum, however, being possessed of 

 more money than myself, bought this shark, and on its 

 arrival Mr. Gerrard, the Ai-ticulator to the Museum, 

 kindly invited me to examine the skin. This skin 

 weighed 1 ton 1^ cwt., and we calculated that the fish, 



