THE SPOTTED DOG-FISH. 106 



Description. 



sometimes found of enormous magnitude. It 

 attains the length of six or eight feet, and be- 

 longs to the class of voracious fish. As it usu- 

 ally resides at the bottom of the ocean, it princi- 

 pally preys upon plaice and rays, which are often 

 found in its stomach. It is bold enough even to 

 attack men, and Pennant relates that a fisher- 

 man who had taken one in his net was severely 

 wounded, in consequence of imprudently ven- 

 turing too near it. It is caught by a hook baited 

 with flesh. 



THE SPOTTED DOG-FISH. 



THE spotted dog-fish, which belongs to the 

 family of sharks, is long and slender, round in 

 the middle, and flat towards the tail. The head 

 is small, and ends in a short blunt point. The 

 tail is long, and the mouth very large. Its jaws 

 are furnished with three rows of sharp-pointed 

 teeth; the palate is rough, as well as the tongue, 

 which is cartilaginous. Close behind the eyes 

 are the aqueous apertures, and near these are the 

 openings of the gills. The anus is between the 

 ventral, or belly fins, where are also situated two 

 cartilaginous substances. As these are found 

 only in the males, naturalists have imagined 

 them to be the sexual members; but Dr. Bloch, 

 who dissected them with great care, (and to 

 whose indefatigable perseverance the science is 



VOL. v. NO. 32. o 



