161 



WHITE SHARK. 



Charcharias vulgaris. 



PLATE XXVII. 



The white shark is supposed to have a particular 

 predilection for human flesh — this it would be diffi- 

 cult to establish ; and perhaps all the points in its 

 history, which serve to countenance such a suppo- 

 sition, are sufficiently explicable, on the assumption 

 of an extreme voracity, such as belongs to many 

 fishes not so well provided with the means of gra- 

 tifying it at the expense of man. When a man 

 unfortunately comes within reach of a shark, he is 

 fortunate if he escape with the loss of a limb, to 

 sever which is, for this voracious creature, but the 

 work of a moment. Yet many stories are current, 

 some of which deserve credit, of man having suc- 

 cessfully encountered sharks in their own element. 

 The plan of attack depends on the knowledge of the 

 mode in which the shark seizes his prey ; to do this 

 the animal is obliged to turn on its side, and while 

 it is assuming this attitude, some daring spirits 

 have succeeded in plunging a knife into its body, 

 so as to escape threatened destruction, or avenge 



L 



