Tin: rii'KKi) iwH.nsii. MM 



IT"1 i l-'.i 'f 111.- [tower* "f lln- It. in. -lie |, ,11- u.-:i|.oii uh.-n wiel,|,-.| |, v ih, ,!,,,, mil-el.- ..f 



the Thresh* 



One morning during a culm, when near tin- Hebrides, oil hand* were called up at 

 three A. M. to witness a kittle Ix'tw.-.-!! -e\eral <.f tin- ti.-h called Tlm-h- !- a l'..x Sharks and 

 KMM swordti.-h on ' '>' MM rfdt ind nil > tionnous li:il>- "ii ill-- "th- r. li VW in ill'- middle ..f 

 summer, and tin- weather being clear and tin- ti-h close to the \e el. \v,- |, : ,,| : , ii n ,. n|.|Nirtunity 

 of witneintf the contest. AB soon as the whale's back appeared above the water, tln> 

 Threshers. sp ringing several yards into the air, descended with great violence u\*>n the object 

 of thi-ir nnn-or. :tnd indicted njxiii him tlie moat severe slap- \\illi lh-ir loii^ tails, tin* .sounds 

 of which resembled tin- rejiortH of muskets fired at a distance. 



The swordlish in th.-ir turn attacked the distressed whale, striking from below. :m<l thus 

 beset on all sides, and wounded, where the poor creature appeared, tin- water around him was 

 dyed with blood. In this manner they continued tormenting and wounding him for many 

 hours, until we lost sight of him, and I have no donl.t that they in flic < ml completed his 

 destrnriion." This strange alliance of two different lish against a marine mammal is a truly 

 ruriou- circumstance, and may have a dee]er meaning than appears on the surface. 



The food of the Thresh. -i con-i-t- mostly of fish, and in the stomach of one of these 

 erasures taken -:T tii ..... sj| ol ' rmnO < f-'iii'l a .|u:iiiiit> ..I' fOUg h'-n in--. Th- .-..!<. r 

 of the Tliresher is dark slaty-blue alx>ve, an<l the same color, but mottled with \\hite, Mow. 



It abounds in all warm seas, and in summer is one of the m<t abundant kinds on our 

 Xe\\ Kncland coa-t. li is als< (M-casionally taken on the Pacific coast. The Thresher i 

 the only representative of it* family. 



THE family of Sand Sharks includes one genus and three species, of which Carcharia* 

 amtricanwt is the more familiar form. It is a small voracious Shark, rather common on our 

 Atlantic shores. 



The family of Porbeagles is well known through its very familiar representative, the 

 Mackerel Shark (Isunt* ylauetu). 



A species, allied of the genus Lamna, was lately discovered at Wood's Holl, Mass. It in 

 a large and fierce creature. 



A large spotted species of the Whale-shark family inhabits the California waters. 



The family which embraces the Port Jackson Sharks is represented in California seas by 

 Cettracion francesci. 



Another family in this connect i< m i- known as the Cow-shark family, having one species 

 which ranges from Cape of Good Hope to California. It is named " Perlous," and is of the 

 genus Heptangus. 



AMONG some other Sharks, the PICKED POO-FISH deserves notice, on account of the 

 curious weapons from which it derives its name. 



In front of each dorsal fin is placed a strong and sharply pointed spine, or pike, which bos 

 caused the fish to receive its popular name in most parts of the coa-t. The word is a dissyl- 

 lable, and pronounced Pick-ed. On some of the shores it is called the. BONE DOG, and on 

 others it is known by the name of the HOE. 



Th>-.e -pines form aggressive weapons of a rath>-r formidable character, the fish having 

 the capability of directing a blow with wonderful accuracy. Mr. Couch says, that he has 

 known the Picked Dog-fish able to pierce a tinker if laid on its bead, and n-\.-i to miss its 

 aim. When about to strike, it In-nd- its body like a bow, and suddenly lashes out in the 

 intended direction. It is a very common species, especially during the herring season, as it 

 follows the shoals of those fish for the purpose of feeding on them. Kven th.- tiny, quarter 

 grown young, not half the size of their intended prey. in-tinctive|y follow the herrings, though 

 it is manifestly impossible that they should be able to eat them. 



The Picked Dog-fish is destructive to the ti-hini: trade, not only on account of it* lar^e 

 appetite and the number of fish it con-umes. but U-cause it cuts the hooks away from the lines 

 with its sharp teeth. As, moreover, it i- extremely plentiful, -ome twenty thousand having 



