"tOS HISTORY OF 



reception of her young. To his opinion much deference is due, 

 and is sufficient, at least, to make us suspend our dissent ; for 

 nothing is so contemptible as that affectation of wisdom which 

 some display, by universal incredulity.' 



Upon the whole, a shark, when living, is a very formidable 

 animal ; and, when dead, is of very little value. The flesh is 

 hardly digestible by any but the Negi'oes, who are fond of it to 

 disti'action : the liver affords three or four quarts of oil ; some 

 imaginary virtues have been ascribed to the brain ; and its skin 

 is, by great labour, polished into that substance called shagreen. 

 Mr Pennant is of opinion, that the female is larger than the male 

 in all this tribe ; which would, if confirmed by experience, make 

 a striking agreement between them and birds of prey. It were 

 to be wished that succeeding historians would examine into this 

 observation, which is offered only as a conjecture ! 



CHAP. III. 



OF CARTILAGINOUS FLAT-FISH, OR THE RAY KIND. 



The same rapacity which impels the shark along the surface 

 of the water, actuates the flat fish at the bottom. Less active, 

 and less formidable, they creep in security along the bottom, seize 

 every thing that comes in their way ; neither the hardest shells 

 nor the sharpest spines give protection to the animals that bear 

 them ; their insatiable hunger is such, that they devour all ; and 

 the force of their stomach is so great, that it easily digests them. 



The whole of this kind resemble each other very strongly in 

 their figure ; nor is it easy, without experience, to distinguish 

 one from another. The stranger to this dangerous tribe may 



1 Sharks, as well as the Ray tribe, bring- forth their young alive, moro 

 than one at a time, and each inclosed in a square horny case, terminated at 

 the four corners by slender filaments. After being in the water some time_ 

 these natural pouches open at one end, and the young fish escapes from his 

 confinement, lliese receptacles are, in the shark, of a peUucid horn-colour, 

 terminated at the corners by very long slender filaments, wluch are gener- 

 ally foiuid tmsted round coral, sea-weeds, and other substances, to prevent 

 their being driven on shore before the young is excluded : those of the Ray 

 tribe are black, with the filaments hardly longer than the case, and arc fre- 

 (jueutly ca;>t on our shores in groat abundance. 



