UTILIZATION OF DOGFISH 131 



At St. AudreAvs, N.B., and in the Passamaquodd^ bay generally, the horned dog- 

 fish has been somewhat rare during June, July, August, and September in the past 

 lour years. 



I am indebted to Dr. A. G. Huntsman for the follo^ving note on the distribution 

 of Squahis acdtithla.s: " It extends in its distribution well into the Bay of Fundy and 

 into Passaniaquoddy bay and the St. Croix river. 



"'In the gulf of St.' Lawrence it is found generally distributed, but is apparently 

 not as abundant on the north shore, although reported from that part by Stover (1850, 

 ].. 270) and Fortin (1864). In the St, Lawrence river, Bell (1859, p. 208) records it 

 for Les Islets on the south shore. 



" It is probably not to be found on the outer coast of Labrador, although listed 

 from Greenland by Fabricius (1780, p. 127), and stated by Perley (l.sr)2, ]^. 22?)) to 

 range as far north as Davis strait, on what authority I know not. 



" The Acadian region is evidently the region of abundance for this species, 

 although it passes beyond the limits of the region, both to the north and to the south." 



At Woods Hole, Mass., this species is " Less abundant than formerly and coni- 

 parativelj' scarce in 1897. When the fish factory was established at Woods Hole, this 

 was the principal fish utilized in the manufacture of guano; later the scarcity or 

 irregularity of the supply necessitated the use of menhaden." ^* 



Dogfish feed on mackerel, herring and other small fish. 



The flesh of the dogfish has been canned under the supervision of the U.S. Fish 

 Commission as " graj'flsh ". It is also used as fertilizer, being used by both Canadian 

 and United States factories for making guano or fish manure. In this latter case the 

 oil is first extracted. The liver may be used alone to make dogfish oil. used in curry- 

 ing leather. On certain parts of cape Cod the fish has been dried for fuel. The skin 

 of the dogfish has been used for polishing and for making shagreen, a kind of rough 

 leather. 



The following species of shark is found in Canadian waters although not so 

 abundantly as the dogfish : — 



Carcharias littoralis Mitchell, the sand shark. It is found along shores or within 

 soundings and reaches a length of twelve feet. 



(h) RAYS. 



Giinther (1880) states that all rays are considered edible and some of them are 

 regularly brought to the English market. The commoner Canadian rays are: — 



Baja erinacea Mitchill. 

 Synonym — 



Raja eglanterla Giinther. 

 Common names — 



Common skate; Little skate; Tobacco box. 



Characteristics : Form rhomboid, with all the angles rounded ; spines largest on the 

 anterior extensions of the pectorals, where they are close set, strong, laterally com- 

 pressed, and hooked backward, smaller ones are scattered over the head above the 

 spiracles, above and in front of the eyes, and on the back, the median line of which is 

 comparatively smooth, without larger median series, except in the young; a triangular 

 patch on the shoulder girdle ; inner posterior angles of the pectorals nearly smooth ; in 

 the males near the exterior angles of the pectorals are two rows of large erectile hooks 

 pointing backward. Females with groups of small scales on each side of the vent; 

 teeth small, the middle ones sharp in the males; all blunt in the females; jaws much 



"Quoted from H. M. Smith, 1897. 



79550—9* 



