Large shark, 530 



and the throat extremely wide : the eyes, as in most of the genus, 

 of a blueish or greenish cast, rather small, and half overhung by 

 their skinny veil : the pectoral fins are large, strong, broad, and 

 pointed : the first dorsal fin moderately large, somewhat falcated 

 behind, and pointed ; the second is situated very low on the back, 

 near the origin of the tail, which is slightly lengthened, and of a 

 bilobate shape, the upper lobe or division slightly pointed, and the 

 lower or terminal lobe rather rounded : so great is the strength of 

 this part, that even a young shark, of about six feet in length, is 

 able, by a stroke of its tail, to break a man's leg ; it is usual, there- 

 fore, with sailors, to cut off the tail the instant they drag a shark on 

 board : the anal fin is placed somewhat beyond the middle of the 

 abdomen, and is of a moderate size, and of a somewhat square 

 outline : the general colour of the whole animal is a pale or whitish 

 ash, darker or browner on the upper parts ; the mouth is situated 

 considerably beneath the front, for which reason the animal is said 

 like most others of this genus, to be obliged to turn on its back in 

 order to seize its prey ; an observation as ancient as the days of 

 Pliny, M resupinati vorant : affert moram providentia Naturte 9 

 quia nisi resupini atque conversi, non corripiunt." Plin. lib. 9. 

 c. 8. This, however, is much doubted by Dr. Bloch, who rather 

 supposes the shark to seize its prey in a direct position, or like the 

 generality of fishes. The skin of the shark is very rough, and is 

 used as a kind of shagreen, as well as for smoothing various kinds 

 of wood-work, &c. and from the liver is drawn a great quantity of 

 oil. 



u Sharks," says Mr. Pennant, " are the dread of sailors in all hot 

 climates, where they constantly attend the ships, in expectation of 

 what may drop overboard : a man that has that misfortune perishes 

 without redemption : they have been seen to dart at him like gud- 

 geons to a worm." They are said to attack Negroes in preference 

 to Europeans ; and are observed, in particular, to attend, with un- 

 remitting assiduity, the passage of the slave-ships, from the coasts of 

 Africa to the West.Indian islands ; and, as Cepede very happily and 

 justly observes, may be considered as forming a proper escort to the 

 cruel conductors of those most accursed vessels. " A master of a 

 Guinea-ship," says Pennant, u informed me, that a rage of suicide 

 prevailed among his new-bought slaves, from a notion the unhappy 

 creatures had, that after death, they should be restored to their fa- 



