THE SHARK. II5 



Section V. 



Gen. VII. The Shark, 



The fiflies of this genus are the moft formidable and vo-* 

 racious of all the tyrants of the ocean ; if fome of the 

 rays were invefted by the credulity of the ancients, with 

 imaginary powers of deftruftlon, tliofe poirefled by the 

 fliark are real. The fpine of the fire-flare might often 

 prove hurtful, but the fangs of the (hark are always fa- 

 tal. The genus is dIflinguKhed by an enormous mouth, 

 placed beneath the head, armed both above and below, 

 ■with an hundred and forty -four frightful teeth, which the 

 animal has the power to raife or deprefs at pleafure ; to 

 this hideous apparatus of deftru£lion, the fhark joins a 

 liercenefs and rapidity, far fuperior to that of the o- 

 ther rapacious tribes : The fmalled of the race is dread- 

 ed by almofl every filh in the fea ; for there is hardly any 

 of them that dre;'.d an encounter with animals far fu- 

 perior in lize, and more formidable in appearance. The 

 white fhark, which is the iargefl of this tremendous race, 

 maintains a terrible defpotil'ui in the ocean ; for, with that 

 amaziifg velocity peculiar to his tribe, he unites the 

 llrongeft appetite for depredation. Ke approaches near- 

 ly to tliefize of the whale, but far farpalTes that animal 



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