108 



shark tribe would soon have depopulated the 

 ocean, and reigned alone in the vast regions of 

 the sea, till hunger would have forced them to 

 attack and ultimately destroy each other; but, 

 holding the impartial scale over the whole crea- 

 tion, she ordered that the under jaw of this de- 

 vouring marine animal should be, by its cum- 

 bersome prominency an impediment to his seizing 

 easily his offered food ; and it is generally re- 

 marked, that when on the point of catching 

 hold of any thing the shark is obliged to twist 

 himself on one side, which troublesome evolu- 

 tion often gives time to escape. The flesh of 

 the fish is of a disagreeable taste, and cannot 

 be eaten with an^ kind of relish. 



ST. PETER'S FISH* HADDOCK. 

 This fish is much less in size than the cod- 

 fish, and differs somewhat from it in shape; it 

 is of a blueish colour on the back, with small 

 scales ; a black line is carried on from the 

 upper corner of the gills on both sides down to 

 the tail ; in the middle of the sides, under the 

 line, a little beneath the gills, is a black spot 



