THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. 345 



each a characteristic name, there are as many as sixteen species belonging to 

 a dozen genera that have been taken by scientific fishermen from the waters 

 about the islands. 



Man-Eater Sharks. 



Of this number the larger species are usually spoken of as man-eater 

 sharks, or tiger sharks. The real man-eater is a great white shark sometimes 

 thirty feet in length. It is by all odds the most ferocious of all fish-like 

 animals. Specimens have been taken in Europe, Japan, California, Hawaii 

 and the Carolinas indicating that they encircle the globe. While but one species 

 of this genus,-* known as nuihi by the natives, is alive today, the teeth and 

 certain other bones of extinct species that lived in former times, have been 

 dredged from the sea bottom in the Mid-Pacific. Some of the other living 

 species are really quite voracious, but that they are really man-eaters in the 

 sense of pursuing, capturing and devouring the living body of a man is doubted 

 by those who have given time and attention to the verification of the various 

 shark stories that are current in Hawaii, as well as in all seaport towns. 



Sharks with mouths twenty inches across, that are crammed with trian- 

 gular teeth an inch or more in length, are not uncommonly captured about 

 the islands. Since the number and size of the teeth is said to be directly in 

 proportion to the ferocity of the shark, the larger species are to be studiously 

 avoided, be they living or dead, even though we are continually reassured that 

 they are not dangerous — as an incident taken from my note-book will dem- 

 onstrate. 



Several years ago I was on board a four-masted sailing vessel bound for 

 Laysan Island, when our good ship became hopelessly becalmed. We had on 

 board a party of Japanese laborers to be emploj^ed in the guano business 

 on the islancL To pass the time, and in response to an ancient and honorable 

 superstition of the sea, all hands fell to fishing for sharks — since, as everyone 

 who has sailed with canvas knows, the catching of a shark by a becalmed 

 mariner has never failed to bring a fair wind. As all winds that blow for 

 becalmed seamen are classed as fair, we were not surprised, within an hour 

 after our crew had succeeded in hooking and loading an eight-foot shark, to 

 find our vessel under headway again. As the Japanese are fond of shark stew, 

 they were granted permission to make an open fire on deck and dress and cook 

 the slimy savage token of our good luck. 



An hour later one of the laborers commenced to clean the deck of the blood 



* Carcharodon carcharias. 



Description of Plate. 



1. Shark fisliing as practiced for the sport of the chase. 2. Catching skip-jacks [Aku] 

 or Ocean Boneto from the jib-boom of a sailing vessel. .3. Five minutes' catch from the jib- 

 boom. 4. Hawaiian spearing fish with a double pronged spear [kao]. 5. Fisherman with a 

 throw net. 6. Man-eater Sliark [Niuhu] {Carcharodon carcharias) capturc'd off I'earl Harbor. 

 This shark is the most voracious of all tlie fishes. 7. Natives fisliing at Kahana Bay with 

 long sea net [upena kuu]. 8. Large dip-net for reef fishing. 



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