Sharks and Rays 



667 



rholoby IP. Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.] 



OCELLATED DOG-FISH. 



[MUj'ord-on-Sea. 



So called from the presence of the eye-like spots on the body, two of which can be seen above 



the breast-fins. 



and KOUGII HOUND, the NURSE. 

 the PICKED DOG, and the 

 SILVER DOG, or TOPE. The 

 NURSE and EOUGH HOUND are 

 spotted leopards of the sea, 

 and the latter has a very 

 curious property. If a fresh- 

 caught " row-hound," as the 

 fishermen pronounce the 

 name, be put in a basket or 

 boat's well with pollack and 

 other fishes, the points of con- 

 tact will be marked by dis- 

 coloration of its neighbours. 

 This is probably due to some 

 acrid and bleaching secretion 

 of the row-hound's skin, for 

 which some economic use 

 might possibly be found. The 

 PICKED DOG, or SPUR-DOG, has 

 very sharp spines in front of 

 both back-fins, and has there- 

 fore to be handled by the 



fishermen very cautiously, often punishing their hands badly when entangled at night in the 

 nets. Of SMOOTH HOUNDS there are two species or varieties, between which there is some 

 confusion, and in one at any rate there are interesting anatomical peculiarities in the unborn 

 fish (like many other sharks and dog-fishes, the smooth hound bears living young instead of 

 depositing eggs), any account of which would obviously be out of place in so short a description. 

 Generally speaking, then, the sharks are cartilaginous fishes, having the upper lobe of the 

 tail larger than the lower, a shovel-shaped snout, and the crescent-shaped mouth beneath the 

 head. Another peculiar feature of the group is the presence of breathing-spiracles behind 

 the eyes ; while the latter 

 have a manner of blinking 

 not found in other fishes. Of 

 the teeth, which differ in 

 structure from those of other 

 kinds of fishes, there are 

 several rows. The gill-open- 

 ings are lateral, and usually 

 number five, though one 

 species has six and another 

 seven. With the exception 

 of the afore-mentioned 

 BASKING-SHARK and the PORT 

 JACKSON SHARK, which the 

 writer met with in Australia, 

 they are all more or less 

 dangerous ; and when of in- 

 sufficient size to be harmful 



to man, do great damage photo by A. s. Rutland & sm* 



among the lines and nets of INDIAN STRING-RAY. 



the fishermen. Indeed, the The tail is armed with a powerful poison-spine. 



