554 THE GREENLAND SHARK. 



the Greenlanders, when fishing where the depth is great, 

 as we are told hy Fahrieius, are very cautious of speaking 

 loud for fear the monster should make its appearance, in 

 which case, to say nothing of the fish in whose capture 

 they are engaged being scared from tlie spot, they are 

 at times obliged to flee to tlie nearest shore to secure 

 their own personal safety. 



This shark is said to be the most voracious of the 

 family, a perfect marine tiger in short, and devours 

 almost everytliing, whether living or dead, that it comes 

 across. Bishop Gunnerus relates that on one occasion a 

 whole reindeer, that had probably fallen from the clitfs 

 during a snow-storm, was found in its stomacli ; — and on 

 another, the entire carcass of a great or bearded seal 

 {Thoca barbata), the largest of the Scandinavian Phocaj, 

 together with fourteen fishes ! Fabricius tells us, more- 

 over, that the stomach of a shark of this species, measuring 

 fourteen feet in length, that he himself opened, contained 

 no fewer than eight codfish, a ling measuring four feet, 

 the head of an immense holibut, and several large lumps 

 of whale blubber. Scoresby, our celebrated navigator, 

 gives us to understand that this shark will not molest 

 people. Such is not the notion of the Scandinavians, who 

 assert that the creature makes quick work of a man, 

 should he unfortunately come in its way. It is on record, 

 indeed, that some years ago a boat containing two fisher- 

 men was capsized near Bergen ; some little time after- 

 wards a Greenland shark was captured in whose stomacli 

 was found half of the body of one of the unhappy fellows, 

 which was recoguized by his disconsolate widow from the 

 clothes he wore. 



According to Fahrieius, this fish spawns in July and 

 August. The immature eggs, which are of the size of 

 those of a barn-door fowl, are, he tells us, so numerous 

 as to fill half a bari-el. 



