PACKS OF DOG-FISH. 73 



and carnivorous fisli should have but few young ones at 

 a time. The obvious meaning of this arrangement, 

 vi^hich Nature has evidently inserted as a " protective 

 clause " in her bill for " the due balancing of life among 

 sea-fish," is that the oppressors should not overbalance 

 the oppressed. We find the same arrangements among 

 land animals — carnivorous animals have few at a birth, 

 herbivorous animals have many. 



The name " dog-fish " is a happy one, for this class 

 of fish seem to have the habits in the sea somewhat 

 similar to dosfs on land. Wild do^s on the sand deserts 

 of Africa hunt antelopes in i^acks ; the ''sea-dogs" 

 hunt herrings, whiting, &c., on the submarine sand 

 deserts of the North Sea, also in x^^-cl^s ; and old 

 Neptune doubtless has fine sport — -mackerel hunting on 

 the Warne Bank off Folkestone, with his " spotted dog " 

 j)ack. Dogs on land have an acute sense of smell and 

 hearing ; look at the olfactory organs or dissect the ear 

 of the " sea dog," and you will find that he also would 

 be good at hitting off a scent, or hearing the noise of 

 "'priming herrings" from afar. Fox and greyhounds 

 have long tails, and they can turn quickly ; the sea 

 hounds have also long tails, and doubtless in the water 

 would score points and " turn the hare " as well as the 

 best greyhound that ever ran at Hampton Court. 



In the case of the Eough Hound (Squalus catidiis) the 

 young are not born alive ; the parent fish deposits an 

 egg, of which I have two specimens now before me, 

 thrown ashore near Heme Bay. They consist of a thick 

 horny substance, which when dry exactly resembles 

 amber. Each egg is fastened to the sea-weed by means 

 of two long string-like tendons. 



These curious strings exactly resemble the tendrils 

 of a vine, and it is a very curious circumstance that 



