SUPPLEMENT. 407 



and a quarter inches high at its commencement, and two inches 

 high at its posterior extremity. 



The Pectoral fins are three inches long ; quadrate ; rather 

 higher than long ; slightly digitated at their extremities, and 

 ciliated ; width at the extremity, when expanded, six inches ; 

 composed of twenty-five rays. 



The Ventral fins, one inch long, two inches high ; having ^ve 

 strongly marked digitations. 



The Anal fin is five inches long ; as high again at its poste- 

 rior extremity as at its anterior ; it is composed of nine rays. 



The Caudal fin is two inches long, four and a half inches 

 high, and is composed of eight rays. 



Squalus. Lin. {Selache. Cuv.) elephas. Le Sueur. 

 Journal Academy Natural Sciences, et fig. 



Two or three weeks since, a large male shark was harpooned 

 in the harbor of Provincetown, and being towed to Chelsea, 

 was there exhibited. When I saw it, it was lying upon the 

 beach, where it was entirely exposed at low tide, and nearly, 

 if not altogether covered by water when the tide was high ; 

 the tide was flowing in, when I examined it, Avhich compelled 

 me to make a more rapid survey than could have been wished. 

 It had been opened, and its viscera were removed. The 

 liver filled eight barrels, and furnished six barrels of oil. The 

 fish presented the following appearances : 



Its entire length was thirty feet three inches. The whole up- 

 per part of the body, was of a dark slate color ; lighter beneath. 

 The skin was divided into innumerable rugge, which were cov- 

 ered with minute sharp points, often collected into groups, resem- 

 bling the discs of many of the " Echini,''^ upon which are situ- 

 ated the spines by which they are ornamented ; or, still more, 

 the tubercles arranged along the lateral line of some of our 

 '^Cotti,''' causing the skin to be exceedingly rough. Head, small ; 



