246 SHARK. 



broad, flat, thin bodies; five apertures on each side, 

 placed beneath ; a mouth situated quite below ; and a tail 

 small in proportion to their size. The external figure of 

 them all has a great resemblance ; and hence it is difficult 

 to distinguish the species. In fact, a stranger to natural 

 history, when he imagines he is only handling a skate, 

 may be instantly benumbed by a torpedo ; and may be 

 stung by the fire-flaire while he thinks he has caught a 

 thornback. 



THE SHARK. 



The characters of the shark kind consist in a slender 

 body, decreasing towards the tail, two dorsal fins, a 

 rough skin, five apertures on the side of the neck, and a 

 mouth generally placed at some distance beneath the ex- 

 tremity of the nose. 



Sharks are the fiercest and most voracious of all the 

 inhabitants of the deep. Even the smallest species of 

 them are dreaded by much their superiors in size, and 

 with just reason. Indeed, no fish is half so ferocious in 

 its disposition, or can swim with a velocity comparable to 

 that of the shark. It outstrips the swiftest ships, plays 

 round them, darts out before them, returns, and seems 

 to gaze at the mariners, without manifesting the least 

 symptoms of dismay. Such amazing powers, joined with 

 such ravenous appetites, would speedily depopulate the 

 ocean, did not the upper jaw of the shark project far 

 beyond the lower, so that it is obliged to turn on one 

 side before it can seize its prey. As this act requires 

 some time, the animal pursued profits by the delay, and 

 frequently makes its escape. Still, however, the depre- 

 dations which it commits are frequent and formidable : it 

 is the terror of sailors in climates where it abounds ; and 

 bathing in the sea, so delicious and salutary in hot 

 countries, is on this account attended with extreme 

 danger. 



Many melancholy instances are recorded of persons 

 who have lost their lives by these monsters ; from acci- 



