On the Anatomy and Vbyjiology of the Shark. 265 



6go, as I was engasft-d in a fiOiing party in one of the bays 

 on tlie fouth fide of Long Ifland, a (hark, between four and 

 five feel in length, was taken in the feine, and fecured in our 

 boat, without receiving any material injury. Upon examina- 

 tion, this animal was found to be a female, whofe uterus con- 

 tained eleven young ones, of the fize and figure reprefented 

 in the plhte. 



Befides thefe young ones that had advanced thus far in 

 tlieir growth, there were contained a large number of ova 

 within the body of this fifli, in diB'erent degrees of evolution 

 and fize, fome of them refembling the full grown eggs of 

 the tortoife, and others fimilar lo the fmaller rudiments of 

 egs:s found in the ovaria of laying hens. On opening the 

 uterus with a knife, the young liihcs, as reprefented in the 

 fitjure, were found each connetfed with an egg, dependent 

 from that part of the belly which may be confidered as the 

 umbilicus, and appearing in the form of a very large hernia. 

 This hernia, on examination, proved to be a true ovum, filled 

 with yolky fubllance, evidently intended for its nourilhm'ent: 

 and what was very remarkable, the young animal, though 

 grown to a confidcrable fize, and conne6led in this manner 

 with its egg, had no connexion whatever by means of ati 

 umbilical cord, a placenta, or by vefiels of any kind, to the 

 uterus of its dam ; but it was fo completely organized as to 

 derive no fuftenance to its body, nor to receive any renova- 

 tion of its blood from its parent. 



The membrane covering the egg contained mofl: beautifal 

 ramifications (if blood-veflcls. The arteries defcending from 

 the little fifli could be fecn fending oft' their branches over 

 ifs whole exterior furfiice; and tcrminaliug in veins, to unite 

 their trunks, and carry back their contents. 



The finguiarity of all thefe appearances was confiderably 

 heightened by the capability of the little (liarks, when cut 

 out of the uterus, to live for a confiderable time in the open 

 air. The larger part of the brood had been left on the grafs 

 of the (liore where the dam had been difleciled ; but the three 

 which I rel'ervcd for examination lived, and exhibited, tluring 

 the greater part of the time, brillc motion fur alnioft two 

 hours, although expofed to the temperature of. a conuiioii 

 atmojphore. During this time, while thev lav before me on 

 a plate, nothing of the kind appeared more beautiful or di- 

 ftinrt than the branches of blood-vefiels (liooting through 

 and running over the Iranfparenl membrane of ihc egg, the 

 blood evidently appearing to actjuirc a brighter fearlct colour, 

 whillt the (iih was thus expofed to the air, than it had pof- 

 feifed during the inimerfion of the young animal in the Huid 

 of the ulerua. It fecuicd to have accpiired more rapidly, and 



to 



