i4 HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



the last fifty years. One of these measured six feet; a second, nine feet; the third, thir- 

 teen feet My specimen was captured at Province town, June 16th, and was brought to 

 ; his city for exhibition. When first seen, it was swimming in about ten feet of water on 

 the Long-Point side of Provincetown harbor. A boat's crew having given chase, a har- 

 poon was thrown into it, when it instantly turned toward the boat, and seized it with 

 great ferocity near the bows, in which act several of its teeth were broken off. It was 

 eventually killed by being frequently lanced. 



I know of no species which resembles this, unless it be the great white shark, — car- 

 charias vulgaris, — and it certainly cannot be identical with that. When I presented the 

 generic characters of this species to the Boston Natural History Society, October 18th, 

 1848, 1 made the following remarks: "The absurd notion of indiscriminately annexing 

 the names of individuals to objects of Natural History has been almost discarded, unless 

 in cases where the persons so specified have in some way advanced the boundaries of sci- 

 ence. In the instance before us, I feel you will all agree with me in acknowledging that 

 the compliment here offered is deserved, when I remind you that the hardy fisherman 

 referred to, while constantly engaged in the fatigues of his exceedingly laborious pro- 

 fession, has transmitted me within the last two seasons, besides the species here described, 

 a species of Blennms and Motella, both of which genera were new to our waters ; be- 

 sides a specimen of the Somniosus brevipinna, previously only known by a description 

 of a stuffed specimen met with by Lesueur, at Marblehead, thirty years ago ; and a spec- 

 imen of Asjndophoms monopterygius, never but once previously met with south of 

 Greenland; without referring to numerous specimens of our most common 



species 



I 



would at the same time reiterate, what you have repeatedly heard me state, that he is 

 more conversant with the history and habits of the fishes north of Cape Cod, than any in- 

 dividual with whom I am acquainted, or in other words that he is our best practical ich- 

 thyologist." Eighteen years have elapsed since the above words were spoken, and my 

 debt to the individual referred to has immensely increased, and can never be repaid. 

 Whatever other genus this species may be hereafter arranged in, whether it be Carcharo- 

 don or some one yet unformed, unless it be ascertained to have been previously described, 

 I implore succeeding ichthyologists to hesitate before they expunge it. Let his name, 

 who has done so much to enable me to present this final report on the fishes of Massa- 

 chusetts, be indelibly associated with the science to which he is an honor. 

 Massachusetts, Storer. 



