THE WHITE SHARK r 1 25 



its prey *. The eyes are large, round, and flaring, ca- 

 pj;ble of being eafily rolled in the lockets. The dorfal, 

 and perioral fins are very large, and aid the efforts of the 

 tail, in giving rapidity to the fifli's motion. The tail 

 itfelf is femilunar, and capable of giving the moft dread- 

 ful flrokes 5 hence, the failors, as foon as they take one 

 of thefe filhes, fo far duarm it, by cutting off the tail. 



'^je Blue Shark f . 



J His fpecies has obtained its name from the fine azure 

 colour of the back j it is mod frequently an inhabitan 

 of the hot climates, where it is fcarcely lefs formidable 

 to feamen, than that immediately preceding. The body 

 is lefs rough than thofe of the reft of the genus. The 

 eyes are of an eliptical fhape, but the irides perfc6lly 

 round ; behind them, there are none of thofe foramina, 

 •which are obferved in other fpecies J. 



The fifh is of an oblong fliape ; the nofe long, fharp, 

 and compreffed towards the point ; the noftrils are placed 

 tranfverfely. Although moft frequent m the warm cli- 

 mates, the blue fhark is often feen on the Brit'i/h coafts, 

 and particularly thofe of Cornwall, during the pilchard 

 feafon. It is there caught by the fifliers, with a large 

 kind of iron hooks, that are made for the purpofe. 



-^ondeletius 



• Supina vefcantur. Plinii. Lib. ix. cap %a,. 



f Squalus glaucus, Lin. Syft. Gaku.s glaucus, Rondel. 



\ Willough. page 43, 



