WATERS Of WESTERN INDIA. f?l 



shaped, in form, though some are very flat-chested, showing an 

 approach to the rays. The gill opening are on the upper surface, 

 and the upper vane of the tail is the longest (heterocereal). 



There is no standing scientific distinction between Sharks and 

 Dog-fishes. The latter is simply a term applied by fishermen to alt 

 small Selachoid fishes, and often to the young of the larger species, 

 which, as with other fry, are very apt to swarm in-shore, perhaps 

 partly with a view to keeping out of jaw-range of their elders. 

 This is particularly the case on our coast. 



Some naturalists translate " Scylliidce" by "dog-fish," and the 

 name was undoubtedly originally connected with the sea-hounds of 

 the mythical Scj^lla. But the Scylliidce as now restricted are spine- 

 less, and the " piky Dog-fishes" (Spinax) of the North Atlantic, 

 which are armed with a very formidable dorsal spine, have too strong 

 a hold on their name to be deprived of it by any classifier. The 

 term " dog-fish/' therefore, cannot now be used as the equivalent 

 of auy Latin scientific name, and must continue to be a popular 

 term for small sharks in general. In this country, perhaps, we had 

 better get on without it. 



Our leading sharks are the Carclioriidce, one of which, Carcharias 

 gangeticus, is said to be much dreaded at Calcutta, under the name 

 of "ground shai-k," which is not in itself of much use. All the large 

 predatory sharks swim high or low according to the position of their 

 food, and the only species which habitually keep to the bottom 

 are the harmless kinds that prey mostly on shell fish and crabs. 



No sharks are considered dangerous on this coast. The large 

 ones generally keep well offshore, in from 7 to 12 fathoms of water, 

 and the fishermen do not care two-pence ; ; bout them, except to cut 

 their fius off, and sell them for export to China. I cannot help 

 suspecting that there must be local causes for the reported ferocity 

 of the Calcutta sharks. Possibly the throwing of dead bodies into 

 the rivers may have something to 'say to it. 



One of our sharks, Carcharias tricuspidatus, is said to reach 

 twenty feet long further north. I have not myself seen any here of 

 half that length. 



The genus Lamna is closely allied to Carcharias (if really separate 

 at all), but has only one species here, though represented in the 

 Atlantic by the famous "White Shark," and many others. 



Another genus, " Galeocerdo," contains the " tiger-sharks," so 

 called from their markings and bad temper ; they are said to be 



