THE DOG-FISHES AND THE PORBEAGLE SHARK. 5i9 



usual length being from two feet to two and a half, 

 though at times it attains three feet and upwards. The 

 female, as with otliers of the Squalus family, is larger 

 than the male. It is useless for the table, and is onlv 

 eaten, if at all, l)_v the lower classes. But its liver, like 

 that of other sliarks, is valuable from the quantity of 

 oil it produces. 



The Large-spotted Dog-Fish (.S". Catuhis, Linn.), which, 

 Jenyns has a strong suspicion, is identical with the S. 

 Canicula, has not hitherto been recognized in tlie Scan- 

 dinavian seas; but Northern naturalists seem to think 

 it not at all improbable that it may have been overlooked. 

 It is said to attain a somewhat larger size than the 

 species preceding. 



The Black-mouthed or Eyed Dog-Eish [Ringlad [I. e. 

 ringed] Dogg-Fink, Sw. ; Huagjcele, Norw. ; 5'. annulatus, 

 Nilss. ; ScyUhon melanostormim, Bonap.), a well-known 

 Mediterranean fish, is rare in the Bohus Skiirgard, and 

 elsewhere on the western coast of Sweden ; and in the 

 Baltic it is unknown. But on the north-west coast of 

 Norway, wliere it is found as high up, at least, as Dront- 

 heim, it would not seem to be so uncommon. Its length, 

 Nilsson tells us, is two feet and upwards, but neither he 

 nor other Northern naturalists arive us anv information 

 as to its habits. 



The Porbeagle Shark {Ha-Brand, Sw. ; Haa-Mar, 

 Norw. and Dan. ; aS*. Cornuhlcns, Eaber) was not so uncom- 

 mon with us, or on other parts of the western coasts of 

 Sweden and Norway, from near the North Cape to the 

 Sound. It is also said to inhabit the more southern portion 

 of the Bailie. Usually its length is from five to eight 

 feet, but it not unfrequeutly attains nine and ujjwards. 

 Kroyer says he was informed by some fishermen, but he 

 vouches not for the truth of the story, that they on one 

 occasion captured a fish of this species upwards of ten 



