296 SHARKS. 



pedicelli, an ultramarine coloured ring round the oral 

 aperture, and beautiful compound branchiae, of a pink rose 

 colour. In another species, I noticed that the branchiae 

 were composed of numerous isolated trunks, beautifully 

 ramified, and all radiating from the crown-shaped anal 

 aperture so as to form, in appearance, a lovely violet star. 



The Sternaspis inhabits deep water, and was procured 

 by us on two occasions from a muddy floor. It is very 

 inactive in its habits, and when alive moves the spines at 

 one end of the body in an oscillatory manner. It appears 

 to be an animal of delicate constitution, dying and 

 shrivelling up very shortly after being taken. The worm- 

 like Sipunculus, which inhabits the loose moist sand, in 

 which it forms rather deep burrows, resembles a gigantic 

 Arenicola, to which it also approximates in its habits. 



A small species of spotted Shark is rather common 

 along the shore, and appears to be a very active depre- 

 dator among the shoals of fish that here abound. I 

 made a capture of one of these fish-tigers, which, un- 

 luckily for him, had run aground upon a shallow sand- 

 bank. After making surprising efforts to bite his as- 

 sailant, and regain his native element, he finally became 

 my lawful prize. 



Speaking of Sharks, I may here mention a curious cir- 

 cumstance, showing the extreme voracity of these fish, 

 which occurred at Uusang, on the East coast of Borneo. 

 A large species of Zygana sprang from the water, seized 

 a bullock's hide which was drying at the bows of the 

 ship, and succeeded in tearing a portion of it off. One 

 hundred miles from Batan, a shark was caught with a 

 partially digested pig in his stomach, which had been 



