J24 THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



To this class belong the monsters of the deep called 

 Sharks. The skin of these is covered with very small 

 spines, of a bony hardness, and this, when dried, becomes a 

 sort of natural file or sand-paper, used for polishing ivory, 

 &c. They have not gill covers, but have five slits or 

 openings on each side of their cheeks, through' which the 

 water passes. These are, indeed, tyrants of the seas ; the 

 most ferocious of them is the White Shark, which has its 

 vast mouth furnished with triangular movable teeth, 

 which increase with age. In the young ones there is but 

 a single row, but in full-grown sharks there arc si.v. " They 

 will swallow anything" says Professor Rymer Jones, 

 "from a tin can and canvas to fat pork and anchovies." In 

 the stomach of one taken in the harbour at Sydney were 

 found a ham, several legs of mutton, the hind quarter of a 

 pig, the head and forelegs of a bull-dog with a rope 

 around its neck, a quantity of horseflesh, a piece of sack- 

 ing, and a ship's scraper. 



The Greenland Shark does not attack men, but is a 

 great enemy to Whales, which it kills, gorging itself with 

 the flesh and blubber. 



Another important member of this group' is the 

 Sturgeon (Fig. 86). It has strong spines projecting all 

 over its body, and its mouth, which is like a large 

 sucker, is placed under the head, and is without teeth. 

 In front of this, long barbs hang down. It is supposed 

 that as the fish swims along, smaller ones are attracted 

 by these worm-like appendages, and arc drawn into the 

 mouth. The tail is, you will observe, larger on one side 

 than on the othen The Sturgeons swim up large rivers, 

 for the purpose of spawning, and sometimes become 

 entangled in fishermen's nets ; but they are not often 

 secured, for being so strong, and having such bony spikes, 

 they frequently break away where proper nets are not 

 provided. The author recollects one being caught in the 



