254 A HISTORY OF 



Nature for the reception of her young. 1o nis opinion much defer- 

 ence is due, and is sufficient, at least, to make us suspend our assent ; 

 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 digestible 

 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 substance 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 agreement 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 ' 



CHAPTER III. 



OP CARTILAGINOUS FLAT FISH OF THE RAY RIND. 



THE same rapacity which impels the shark along the surface of 

 the water, actuates the flat fish at the bottom. Less active, and less 

 formidable, they creep in security along the bottom, seize every tiling 

 that comes in their way ; neither the hardest shells nor the sharpest 

 spines give protection to the animals that bear them ; their insatiable 

 hunger is such, that they devour all ; and the force of their stomach is 

 so great, that it easily digests them. 



The whole of this kind resemble each other very strongly in their 

 figure; nor is it easy, without experience, to distinguish one from 

 another. The stranger to this dangerous tribe may imagine he is 

 only handling a skate, when he is instantly struck numb by the tor- 

 pedo; he may suppose he has caught a thornback, till he is stung by 

 the rireflare. It will be proper, therefore, after describing the general 

 figure of these animals, to mark their differences. 



All fish of the ray kind are broad, cartilaginous, swimming flat on 

 the water, and having spines on different parts of their body, or at 

 the tail. They all have their eyes and mouth placed quite under the 

 body, with apertures for breathing either about or near them. They 

 all have teeth, or a rough bone, which answers the same purpose. Their 

 bowels are very wide towards the mouth, and go on diminishing to 

 the tail. The tail is very differently shaped from that of other fishes; 

 and at first sight more resembling that of a quadruped, being narrow, 

 and ending either in a bunch or a point. But what they are chiefly 

 distinguished by is, their spines or prickles, which the different spe- 

 cies have on different parts of their body. Some are armed with spines 

 Doth above and below ; others have them on the upper part only ; some 

 fia\ e their spines at the tail ; some have three rows of them, and otheri 



