CIIAI-. IV.] SHARKS. 207 



these months, under pain of fine and imprisonment. 

 This order is still in force^ but the fishing continues 

 notwithstanding. 1 



Sharks. Sharks appear on all parts of the coast, 

 and instances continually occur of persons being seized 

 by them whilst bathing even in the harbours of Trin- 

 comalie and Colombo. In the Gulf of Manaar they are 

 taken for the sake of their oil, of which they yield such 

 a quantity that " shark's oil " is now a recognised 

 export. A trade also exists in drying their fins, for 

 which, owing to the gelatine contained in them, a ready 

 market is found in China, whither the skin of the basking 

 shark is also sent ; to be converted, it is said, into sha- 

 green. 



Saw Fish. The huge saw fish, the Pristis anti- 

 quorum 2 , infests the eastern coast of the island 3 , where 

 it attains a length of from twelve to fifteen feet, inr 

 eluding the powerful weapon from which its name is 

 derived. 



But the most striking to the eye of a stranger are 

 those fishes whose brilliancy of colouring has won for 

 them the wonder even of the listless Singhalese. Some, 



1 There are other species of Sardine found at Ceylon; such as the & lincolata, 

 the S. neohowii, Cuv. and Val. and the S. 



leioyaster, Cuv. and Val. xx. 270, which 

 was found byM. KeynaudatTrinconmlie. 

 It occurs also off' the coast of Java. Ano- 

 ther Ceylon fish of the same group, a 

 Clupea, is known as the " poisonous 

 sprat," the bonito (Scotnber 

 pelamys?), the kangewena, or 

 unicorn fish (Ealistes?), and a 

 number of others, are more or 

 less in bad repute from the 

 same imputation. 



2 Two other species are 

 found in the Ceylon waters, P. 

 cuxpidatus and P. pectinatus. 



3 ^ELIAX mentions^ amongst the extraordinary 

 marine animals found in the seas around Ceylon, a 

 fish with feet instead of fins ; voSag yt p>}v x/;X<ie ; 

 vrfpiyta. Lib. xvi. c. 18. Does not this draw- 

 ing of a species of Chironectes, captured near 



Colombo, justify his description ? CHIEONECTES. 



