88 



SKATK. 



several exani]>les, I liave {oum\ in one a fishins: fio"-, or 

 angl(>r, that weighed upwards of six pounds; in another two 

 large plaice; a lobster; a couple of mackerel; a thornback 

 ray, about eighteen inches in length; and half a salmon, the 

 piece appearing fresh, as if but lately devoured. 



Bloch informs us that at the breeding-season, which is in 

 summer, each female is followed by several males, and that 

 the latter attach themselves so closely by the claspers, that 

 the capture of the former will often secure that of the latter. 

 The c^g is contained in a purse, four or five inches long, of 

 a texture like leather, and oblong shape, with a short and 

 slender tendril at each corner, flexible like leather, and 

 brown, and with, at first, separate fibres that are easily peeled 

 oflf. They are shed in pairs, at apparently short intervals, 

 without being attached to any fixed body; but on one occa- 

 sion an intelligent fisherman reported to me a remarkable 

 departure from the usual course of proceeding, arising, it 

 cannot be doubted, from some abnormal structure or action 

 in the parent fish. On cutting open a fish of unusually large 

 size, he was surprised to find in the receptive organ a pair 

 of young ones, which were nearly twice the size of such as 

 have been newly excluded from the purse; and they appeared 

 perfect in all their parts, except that the eyes seemed to be 

 obscure. Aware of the extraordinary nature of the occurrence, 

 he sought further, when the discovered the purses also, en- 

 closed in the same organ, but in a very decayed condition. 

 It is clear that in this instance we have an example of internal 

 hatching of the egg, but without the power of excluding it 

 into life. 



The instances that have been given of the power of the Blue 

 Shark to sustain injury are fully equalled by what is known of the 

 present species; but a single instance may be thought sufficient 

 to establish the fact. In the month of July, when the warmth 

 of the season may be judged to have exerted some influence, 

 a large Skate was caught with a line at eight o'clock in the 

 evening, but it was not brought to land until the same hour 

 on the folloAving morning; soon after which time the stomach 

 and entrails were cut out and removed. At three o'clock in 

 the afternoon the cavity of the chest was also cut open, and 

 in doing this the heart was deeply wounded, when it was 



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