FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 185 



pendage on the margin, near the end of the snout ; tail round- 

 ed, strong, with a falciform fin, terminating in a distinct, tri- 

 angular, lanceolate lobe ; lower lobe of the fin short and 

 rounded ; ventrals small subquadrangular, without posterior 

 process; teeth triangular, serrate." 



Lamna. Cuv. 



Generic characters. Point of the nose conical, nostrils pierced 

 on its under surface ; all the jive branchial apertures in ad- 

 vance of the origin of the pectorals ; the first dorsal fin placed 

 much nearer the line of the pectoral than the anal fin ; lobes 

 of the tail nearby equal. 



L. punctata. Mitchell. The mackerel Shark. 



Plate III. fig. 2. 



Trans. Lit. et Philosoph. Soc. N. Y. vol. i. p. 483. 



In the summer, this is quite a common species in our waters. 

 The fishermen while fishing for Mackerel and Cod, are fre- 

 quently much annoyed by having their hooks and lines bitten 

 off by this intruder. It occasionally attains the length of eight 

 or nine feet, and weighs between 300 and 400 pounds. No 

 portion of it is used save the liver ; this organ however furnish- 

 es a valuable oil. Seven gallons of oil are not unfrequently 

 extracted from the liver of a single fish. And although it is 

 generally used only by the curriers, yet. when carefully pre- 

 pared by boiling the fresh liver, it is as good as whale oil to 

 burn. As this species is generally seen following shoals of 

 mackerel upon which it feeds, it is commonly known among 

 the fishermen as the Mackerel Shark. 



By the politeness of Messrs. Mc Loud and Dill, fishmon- 

 gers, I was enabled to examine a fine specimen of this species, 

 eight feet in length, taken the latter part of July, 1838, in a 

 net at Marshfield ; from this specimen, I drew up the follow- 



ing account : 



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