ZOOI.OGY. GREENLAND SKAKK. 53^ 



substance, one or two inches in length. Each ex- 

 tremity of it consists of two filaments ; but the cen- 

 tral part is single. The sailors imagine this shark 

 is blind, because it pays not the least attention to 

 the presence of a man ; and is, indeed, so apparent- 

 ly stupid, that it never draws back when a blow is 

 aimed at it with a knife or lance. Figures 3. and 



4. of Plate XV., represent this animal ; and Fig. 



5. shows the appearance of the eye, with its singu- 

 lar appendage. 



The squalus borealis is 12 or 14 feet in length, 

 sometimes more, and 6 or 8 feet in circumference: 

 Its liver, which is remarkably oily, will fill a barrel. 

 In its general form, it very much resembles the 

 dog-fish. The opening of the mouth, which extends 

 nearly across the lower part of the head, is 21 to 24 

 inches in width. The teeth are serrated in one 

 jaw, and lancet-shaped and denticulated in the other. 

 On each side, there are at least 4 or 5 rows ; on one 

 side sometimes 7 or 8. 



This shark is one of the foes of the whale. It 

 bites it and annoys it while living, and feeds on it 

 when dead. It scoops hemispherical pieces out of 

 its body, nearly as big as a person's head ; and con- 

 tinues scooping and gorging lump after lump, until 

 the whole cavity of its belly is filled. It is so in- 

 sensible of pain, that though it has been run 

 through the body with a knife and escaped; yet, 

 after a while, I have seen it return to banquet again 



