582 TEN YEAES IN SWEDEN. 



167. GALEUS CANIS, Rond. Gra Haj. The Common Tope. D. 



Colour grey -brown above, without spots, below 

 white ; nose tolerably long, rounded, blunt ; tail with 

 a pointed lobe at the root ; hinder dorsal much smaller 

 than the anterior one ; length 4 to 5 ft. 

 Rare, and the few examples which have been taken in 

 the Cattegat and Sound were all small fish. 



Gen. Lamna, Cuv. 



Tail fin semi-lunate ; teeth fine, awl-shaped, with a point 

 at the root. 



168. LAMNA CORNUBICA, Yarr. Habrand. The Porbeagle. D. 



Body fusiform, rather resembling the porpoise ; first 

 dorsal large and high, far in front of the ventrals ; tail 

 very large, half-moon shaped, keeled on each side at 

 the root ; colour above blue-grey, below white ; usual 

 length 6 to 8 ft., often larger; spiracle scarcely per- 

 ceptible. 



Is not very rare off the south-west coasts of Sweden 

 and Norway. Is said to be less lively than the other sharks. 



Gen. Selache. 

 Teeth very small ; gill openings very long. 



169. SELACHE MAXIMA, Gun. Brygden. The Basking 



Shark. 



Form rather like the last, with a keel on the sides of 

 the tail, which, however, is much thinner and more 

 pointed ; the snout not so long or pointed ; the anals 

 larger, and the gill covers pass entirely across the 

 throat ; colour black-brown ; skin rough ; length 30 to 

 40 ft. ; spiracle very small. 



This is one of the largest of all the European sharks, but 

 it is also one of the most harmless, its principal food being 

 Crustacea, infusoria, and the like. Has never yet been taken 

 off any southern Scandinavian coast ; but off Hittern and 

 Nordmor, in the north of Norway, a regular fishery is carried 



