Some Oddities of Fish-life 



In arrangement they occupy rows, the foremost 

 only of which is in actual use. Other rows are 

 folded back and kept in reserve, to be brouc;ht 

 forward when required. Thus a shark is never 

 without a ready supply of his formidable 

 weapons. 



White sharks are much given to keeping in the 

 wake of ocean-ships, on the look-out for scraps 

 thrown overboard. One such persistent follower 

 having been killed, an inventory was made of 

 the contents of its stomach, as follows — "A tin 

 can, a number of mutton bones, the hinder 

 quarters of a pig, the head and forequarters of 

 a bull-dog, and other and smaller things, as the 

 auction-bill says, too numerous to mention."* 



Closely related to the Sharks are those savage 

 creatures known as Rays or Skates. 



The larger number of them live usually at the 

 bottom of the sea, in somewhat shallow waters, 

 lying on the ocean-floor, or swimming about just 

 above it. Thus they do not so often come into 

 contact with man as do sharks. But it is want of 

 opportunity, not want of will, which keeps them 

 from doing harm. When they have a chance 

 they seldom fail to use it. 



Among different branches of the *' Ray " 



* Standard Natural History, ii. j). S3. 

 249 



