SHARKS AND SKATES. 



297 



Another valuable product of the sharks is oil, and for this alone they 

 are taken on our shores. The principal shark taken along the New I 

 land coast for this purpose is the dog-fish, which is extensively fished for 

 and easily caught. They swim in immense schools, following the mackerel 

 and other migratory fishes along the coast ; and are universally hated by 

 the fishermen on account of their habits. The amount that they will 

 is almost incredible, and if surrounded in a mackerel-seine, their sharp 

 teeth make quick work with the net, allowing large numbers of fish to 

 escape. In fishing for them, a hook is usually used, fastened to a l»it of 

 chain or wire, for their sharp teeth would instantly cut any cord. When 

 taken they are almost immediately cut open, the liver taken out, and the 

 body flung back into the sea. This injury of course proves fatal, but 

 not immediately so; for the dog-fish thus mutilated does not seem to mind 

 it seriously, but at once begins to feed on anything there may be around, 

 and death intervenes only after a considerable time. Sometimes in e 

 ing the liver, the stomach is cut completely through : but this fact does not 

 interfere with their voracity; for, on being thrown back, they eat even m 

 than before, regardless of the fact, that, like Munchausen's hors try- 



thing taken into the mouth soon falls out behind. 



The livers contain the oil, and are worth half a cent apiece ; and low 

 ts this price may seem, the catching of dog-fish is really profitable, - 

 abundant are they. To extract the oil the old way (and that still prac- 

 tised in the British provinces), is to place the livers in water, and allow 

 the mass to stand in the sun for several days, until the nil rises to tin- sur- 

 face. Then it is skimmed off. This, however, takes too much time to 

 satisfy modern ideas, and so now they are boiled or 'tried' with wa 

 This latter method is much quicker, and besides produces a much 1. 

 quantity of oil. On the other hand, the quality is much inferior, s 

 time excepted, there is not much to choose between the two process - 

 takes about a thousand dog-fish livers to make a barrel of oil. Tl 

 used to adulterate the cod-liver oil or 'cod oil.' used by curriers in dressing 



leather. 



Our common dog-fish is of a gray color, thoroughly shark-like 

 appearance ; but its small size makes it of little danger to man. It re 

 at the most a length of about three feet, and a weight of fifteen oi 

 pounds. Like many other sharks, it brings forth its young alive, 

 eggs as taken'from the mother are strange-looking objects. In 

 female there are two horny capsules of an amber color, and 

 contains from two to four eggs. Through the walls of tic 

 can see the developing embryo, at certain stages a most interesting 

 even to the non-scientific. 



