CARTILAGINOUS FISHES. 



631 



harder to be killed. Even when cut in pie- 

 ces, the muscles still preserve their motion, 

 and vibrate for some minutes after being se- 

 parated from the body. Another method of 

 taking them, is by striking a barbed instru- 

 ment, called a fizgig, into his body, as he 

 brushes along by the side of the ship. As 

 soon as he is taken up, to prevent his flounc- 

 ing, they cut off the tail with an axe, with 

 the utmost expedition. 



This is the manner in which Europeans de- 

 stroy the shark; but some of the Negroes 

 along the African coast, take a bolder and 

 more dangerous method to combat their ter- 

 rible enemy. Armed with nothing more than 

 a knife, the Negro plunges into the water, 

 where he sees the shark watching for his prey, 

 and boldly swims forward to meet him: though 

 the great animal does not come to provoke 

 the combat, he does not avoid it, and suffers 

 the man to approach him; but just as he 

 turns upon his side to seize the aggressor, the 

 Negro watches ihe opportunity, plunges his 

 knife into the fish's belly, and pursues his 

 blows with such success, that he lays the ra- 

 venous tyrant dead at the bottom : he soon 

 however returns, fixes the fish's head in a 

 noose, and drags him to shore, where he makes 

 a noble feast for the adjacent villages. 



Nor is man alone the only enemy this fish 

 has to fear: the Remora, or Sucking-fish, is 

 probably a still greater, and follows the shark 

 every where. This fish has got a power of 

 adhering to whatever it sticks against, in the 

 same manner as a cupping-glass sticks to the 

 human body. It is by such an apparatus that 

 this animal sticks to the shark, and drains 

 away its moisture. The seamen, however, 

 are of opinion, that it is seen to attend on the 

 shark for more friendly purposes, to point him 

 to his prey, and to apprise him of his danger. 



Sharks, as well as the Ray tribe, bring forth their 

 young alive, more than one at a time, and each enclosed 

 in a square horny case, terminated at the four corners by 

 slender filaments. After being in the water some time, 

 these natural pouches open at one end, and the young fish 

 escapes from his confinement. These receptacles are, 

 in the shark, of a pellucid horn-colour, terminated at the 



For this reason it has been called the Shark's 

 Pilot. 



The shark so much resembles the whale 

 in size, that some have injudiciously ranked 

 it in the class of cetaceous fishes; but its real 

 rank is in the place here assigned it, among 

 those of the cartilaginous kind. It breaths 

 with gills and lungs, its bones are gristly, and 

 it brings forth several living young : Bellonius 

 assures us, that he saw a female shark pro- 

 duce eleven live young ones at a time. But 

 I will not take upon me to vouch for the ve- 

 racity of Rondeletius, who, when talking of 

 the blue shark, says, that the female will per- 

 mit her small brood, when in danger, to swim 

 down her mouth, and take shelter in her bel- 

 ly. Mr. Pennant, indeed, seems to give cre- 

 dit to the story, and thinks that this fish, like 

 the oppossum, may have a place fitted by na- 

 ture for the reception of her young. To his 

 opinion much deference is due, and is suffi- 

 cient, at least, to make us suspend our dis- 

 sent; for nothing is so contemptible as that 

 affectation of wisdom which some display, by 

 universal incredulity.* 



Upon the whole, a shark, when living, is a 

 very formidable animal ; and, when dead, is 

 of very little value. The flesh is hardly di- 

 gestible by any but the Negroes, who are 

 fond of it to distraction : the liver affords three 

 or four quarts of oil; some imaginary virtues 

 have been ascribed to the brain; and its skin 

 is, by great labour, polished into that sub- 

 stance called shagreen. Mr. Pennant is of 

 opinion, that the female is larger than the 

 male in all this tribe; which would, if con- 

 firmed by experience, make a striking agree- 

 ment between them and birds of prey. It 

 were to be wished that succeeding historians 

 would examine into this observation, which 

 is offered only as a conjecture ! 



corners by very long slender filaments, which are gene- 

 rally found twisted round coral, sea-weeds, and other sub- 

 stances, to prevent their being driven on shore before the 

 young is excluded : those of the Ray tribe are black, with 

 the filaments hardly longer than the case, and are fre- 

 quently cast on our shores in great abundance. 



