32 BLUE SHARK. 



at the bottom of the sea. The mistake of supposing that this fish 

 produces its young from eggs, is common to both those 

 authors; but the supposition countenanced by the latter, that the 

 Galeus produces its young at the mouth, may be regarded as 

 no other than an ignorant surmise, by an observer who might 

 suppose that what he saw of the return of young ones from 

 their hiding place, was really their first appearance in the world 

 of waters. 



But it must be admitted that hitherto on this subject we 

 may justly be suspected to have been wandering in the region 

 of fable; and that facts mentioned by those ancient autliors are 

 so often mingled with false conclusions, superstition, and errors, 

 as to render it difficult to separate one from the other. We 

 allege, on the other hand however, that, even when this is 

 allowed, the information thvis conveyed is so far a matter of 

 interest as, according to information afforded us by a commen- 

 tator on Oppian, the opinion of its certainty is several times 

 referred to by some of the fathers of the church; and thus is 

 metaphorically employed towards spiritual uses. 



But incredible as this strange proceeding may appear to us, 

 it receives corroboration from the authority of llondeletius, 

 who was a i:)hysician of eminence, and Professor of Natural 

 History in the College of Montpcllier; and whose book on the 

 "History of Fishes," is still held in high estimation. He speaks 

 of the Thrasher, f Alopecias vulpcs,) as receiving its young in 

 this manner when in danger, as we shall shew more at large 

 when we treat of that fish; and besides the evidence of those 

 whom we may suppose ignorant sailors, I have received the 

 follo^ving information from a gentleman, who was on board a 

 ship, of which his father, a captain in the Koyal Xavy, was 

 commander, in or near the tropics. A Shark had seized the 

 hook, and was about to be haulc>d on board, when four young 

 ones were seen to escape from it; and being then drawn on 

 deck, three more of them were cut out from the stomach or 

 mouth. Placed in a vessel of water they were kept alive for 

 three days afterwards, and appeared to have suffered notliing 

 from their strange confinement. 



The impossibility of surviving such an imprisonment as is 

 here supposed, has been urged in proof that even if the young 

 have been found inclosed within the stomach, or have been 



