606 



Ercatiurg at Natural $? 



Hebrides in June, in pairs, or in small shoals 

 of seven or eight ; and depart again in July. 

 They are said to have nothing of the fierce 

 and voracious nature of other Sharks ; but 

 are seen sometimes lying quietly near the 

 surface, and at other times leaping with vast 

 agility several feet out of the water. The 

 tail is very large, and the upper part of it 

 remarkable for its extreme length. The 

 upper part of the body is of a deep leaden 

 colour, the belly white : on the back the skin 

 is granulated, like shagreen ; and within the 

 mouth, towards the throat, is a very short 

 sort of whalebone. They are viviparous. 

 They are killed by harpooning, which, owing 

 to their strength, is often a long and difficult 

 operation. When killed, they are either 

 hauled on shore, or, if at a distance from 

 laud, to the vessel's side : the liver, which is 

 the only part of any value, is then taken 

 out, and melted into oil ; of which a large 

 fish will yield eight barrels. 



The BLUE SHARK. (Squalus glaucus.) This 

 fish is of a more slender and elegant shape, 

 as well as the most beautiful in point of 

 colour, of all the Sharks. The colour above 

 is blue-green, beneath white : head rather 

 large, with the snout very long and pointed ; 

 and the mouth wide, and placed very far 

 under : teeth nearly triangular, sharp, and 

 disposed in three or four rows : eyes large : 

 the tail deeply bilobate, with the lower lobe 

 much larger and longer than the upper. It 

 grows to the length of eight feet, and is an 

 inhabitant of most parts of the globe. It is 

 a very voracious and bold fish, and is scarcely 

 less dreaded by sailors than the Common or 

 White Shark. It is said principally to prey 

 on herrings, shads, and tunnies. It frequents 

 several of the British coasts, particularly 

 that of Cornwall, during the pilchard season, 

 when it is extremely troublesome to the 

 fishermen, by cutting their lines and nets, 

 and devouring the fish. It is taken with 

 large iron hooks prepared for the purpose. 



The Fox SHARK. (.Squalus vulpes.~) The 

 Fox Shark, or Thresher, is distinguished for 

 the great development of the upper lobe of the 

 caudal fin, or tail, into which the vertebral 

 column is prolonged ; this being nearly as 

 long as the entire body, which is plump and 

 sub-ovate. The first dorsal fin is triangular, 

 and placed on the middle of the back ; and 

 the pectoral fins are of considerable size : 

 the eyes are large ; the mouth small ; the 

 teeth triangular, small, and in three rows. 

 Colour, dusky ash above, and whitish be- 

 neath. It inhabits the Mediterranean and 

 other seas, and is occasionally met with on our 

 own coasts : it grows to the length of twelve 

 or fourteen feet ; and is considered as a vo- 

 racious and artful fish. 



The HAMMER-HEADED SHARK. (Zygcena. 

 vulgaris.) Of all marine animals this is 

 perhaps the most deformed. It resembles 

 the ordinary Sharks in the form of its body, 

 which is sub-cylindric and rather slender ; 

 but its head is dilated on each side to a 

 great extent, in the form of a double-headed 

 hammer; the eyes, which are very large, 

 being placed at each extremity : mouth be- 



neath, as in other Sharks. It is a native of 

 the Mediterranean and Indian seas, whore 

 it is scarcely less voracious and formidable 

 than even the White Shark itself ; attacking 



(ZYO.E.NA VULGARIS.) 



such as are accidentally bathing in its neigh- 

 bourhood. It is observed about the coasts 

 of the South Sea islands, and particularly of 

 Otaheite, where the natives, trusting to their 

 dexterity in swimming, appear to hold it in 

 but little dread. 



The PICKED SHARK. (Galeus acanthias.) 

 This species is from three to four feet in 

 length ; and is readily distinguished by a 

 very strong bony spine, situated before each 

 dorsal fin, and connected at its base with 



4TH1A3.) 



the fin itself: teeth small and sharp, and 

 disposed in rows along the jaws ; upper lobe 

 of the tail longer or more projecting than 

 the lower, which is continued to some dis- 

 tance beneath. It inhabits the European 

 seas, and is very common about the coasts 

 of Scotland, where it is taken in order to be 

 prepared for sale by splitting and drying, 

 and is then much used as a food among the 

 poorer classes. 



SHARK [MOTHS]. A name given by 

 collectors to Moths of the genus Cucullia. 



SHEARS [MOTHS]. A name given by 

 collectors to Moths of the genus Hadena. 



SHEATH-BILL. (Chionis.) A genus of 

 Shore-birds, or Waders, which have short 

 toes, nearly as in domestic poultry, the tarsi 

 scutellated, the beak thick and conical, and 

 enveloped at the base by a hard substance, 

 which, it appears, the bird has the power of 

 raising and depressing. This remarkable 

 bird approaches very near to the Oyster- 

 catchers in its whole anatomy, and the 

 affinity is discernible on comparison of their 

 external characters. The species Chionis 

 necrophaga, which is from New Holland, is 

 the size of a large Partridge, and entirely 

 white. It frequents the sea shore, and feeds 

 on dead animal matter thrown up by the 

 tide. 



