CHAPTER IV 



SHARKS, DOG-FISHES, SKATES AND RAYS 



IT may come as a surprise to some of my readers to 

 know that there are seventeen different kinds of sharks 

 to be met with in our waters, the largest being the ham- 

 merhead, which reaches twelve or thirteen feet in length. 

 On the Cornish coast the blue shark frequently breaks 

 up the fishermen's nets, and robs their lines of bait. 

 This fish when hooked turns over and over, and twists 

 the line round his body, so that he is gradually brought 

 right up to the surface. The thresher shark may be seen 

 from the cliffs, feeding on herrings and pilchards. Fre- 

 quently, in order to round up a shoal of pilchards, he 

 lashes the water with his tail, and when the terrified 

 fish are herded together he works sad havoc among 

 them. Some smaller members of the shark tribe are 

 known as dog-fishes, of which the row-hound is the 

 commonest. This scavenger of our seas appears to be 

 everywhere, and no food comes amiss to him, and to 

 the fisherman he is a perfect pest. Row-hound is a 

 corruption for rough-hound, for the skin on this dog-fish, 

 like other sharks, is covered with fine teeth-like scales. 

 I remember taking a row-hound out of a tank on a 

 cold day, with my sleeves turned up. The powerful fish 

 twisted his body round my bare arm, and literally 



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