CARTILAGINOUS FISHES 265 



but one. These prickles in some are comparatively soft and feeble ; 

 those of others, strong and piercing. The smallest of these spines 

 are usually inclining towards the tail ; the larger towards the head. 



It is by the spines that these animals are distinguished from each 

 other. The skate has the middle of the back rough, and a single 

 row of spines on the tail. The sharp-nosed ray has ten spines that 

 are situated towards the middle of the back. The rough ray has its 

 spines spread indiscriminately over the whole back. The thornback 

 has its spines disposed in three rows upon the back. The fireflare 

 has but one spine, but that indeed a terrible one. This dangerous 

 weapon is placed on the tail, about four inches from the body, and is 

 not less than five inches long. It is of a flinty hardness, the sides 

 thin, sharp-pointed, and closely and sharply bearded the whole way. 

 The last of this tribe that I shall mention is the torpedo ; and this 

 animal has no spines that can wound; but in the place of them it 

 is possessed of one of the most potent and extraordinary faculties in 

 Nature. 



Such are the principal differences that may enable us to distinguish 

 animals, some of which are of very great use to mankind, from others 

 that are terrible and noxious. With respect to their uses indeed, as 

 we shall soon see, they differ much ; but the similitude among them, 

 as to their nature, appetites, and conformation, is perfect and entire. 

 They are all as voracious as they are plenty ; and as dangerous to a 

 stranger, as useful to him who can distinguish their difference. 



Of all the larger fish of the sea, these are the most numerous ; and 

 they owe their numbers to their size. Except the white shark and 

 cachalot alone, there is no other fish that has a swallow large enough 

 to take them in ; and their spines make them a still more dangerous 

 morsel. Yet the size of some is such, that even the shark himself is 

 unable to devour them : we have seen some of them in England weigh 

 above two hundred pounds; but that is nothing to their enormous 

 bulk in other parts of the world. Labat tells us of a prodigious ray 

 that was speared by the Negroes at Guadaloupe, which was thirteen 

 feet eight inches broad, and above ten feet from the snout to the in 

 sertion of the tail. The tail itself was in proportion, for it was not 

 less than fifteen feet long, twenty inches broad at its insertion, and 

 tapering to a point. The body was two feet in depth; the skin as. 

 thick as leather, and marked with spots; which spots, in all of this 

 kind, are only glands, that supply a mucus to lubricate and soften the 

 skin. This enormous fish was utterly unfit to be eaten by the Eu- 

 ropeans ; but the Negroes chose out some of the nicest bits, and 

 carefully salted them up as the most favourite provision. 



Yet, large as this may seem, it is very probable that we have seen 

 only the smallest of 'the kind; as they generally keep at the bottom, 

 the largest of the kind are seldom seen ; and as they may probably have 

 been growing for ages, the extent of their magnitude is unknown. It is 

 generally supposed, however, that they are the largest inhabitants of 

 the deep ; and, were we to credit the Norway Bishop, there are some 

 above a mile over. But to suppose an animal of such a magnitude is 

 absurd ; yet the overstretching the supposition does not destroy the 

 probability that animals of this tribe grow to an enormous size 



The ray generally chooses for its retreat soch parts of the sea as 



