252 FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. 



those seeking it, to approach the animal closely enough to 

 be able to launch a harpoon into it. This is done while it 

 is lying motionless at the surface of the water (a very 

 common habit from which it has received its common 

 name), every endeavour being made to fasten the harpoon 

 in the top of the head, forward of the eyes, the idea being 

 to hold the head up, so as to prevent the fish from going 

 down. When this has been accomplished, the boat ap- 

 proaches, and the Shark is lanced until it is quite dead. It 

 is then taken alongside the vessel, "a hole is cut in one side 

 of the abdomen ; a strap inserted on either side of the in- 

 cision, and the tail hoisted up so as to raise the body some- 

 what out of the water. A man then enters the abdominal 

 cavity and with a knife, cuts out the liver in pieces. These 

 are passed up on deck, minced, as in the case of whale 

 blubber, and placed in the try-pots. After a sufficient length 

 of time, the cooked liver pieces are removed from the pot, 

 placed in a canvas or hempen bag, suspended from aloft, 

 and permitted to drain. Nothing but the oil is saved. A 

 considerable market for it, exists in South America, where 

 it is used principally as a body for paints for 'exterior 

 surfaces."* 



In deep-sea fishing, as practised in older countries, 

 large numbers of Sharks (particularly the smaller kinds) 

 and Rays are captured, in company with the fishes which 

 are the main objective such as Herrings, fishes of the Cod 

 family, etc. Though these are quite rightly looked upon as 

 a great nuisance and a hindrance to the various fisheries, 

 still they are not thrown aside ; every endeavour being made 

 to "make the best of a bad job"; therefore they are taken 

 ashore to the factories and converted into oil and fertilizer. 

 The number of Sharks so captured, in the Menhaden 

 fishery alone of the United States of America, averages 

 from 7000 to 10,000 annually. The statement here made 

 will probably come as a surprise to most, and it should 

 completely quieten those amongst us, who decry any attempts 

 at deep-sea fishing other than trawling along the coast 

 of, say, New South Wales, "because of the great number 

 of Sharks." 



* Loc. "/., p. 228. 



