THE ZooLocist—APRIL, 1875. 4415 
Basking Shark off Shanklin Chine, Isle of Wight. 
By Captain Henry HADFIELD. 
A MAGNIFICENT male specimen of this gigantic fish was stranded 
on the 27th of February, on the “ Ledge,” a narrow reef jutting far 
into the sea, half a mile or so to the westward of Shanklin Chine. 
It was first observed by a fisherman at 11 a.m.; and I was informed 
by an eye-witness that little more than the tail of the fish could be 
seen as it lay suspended on the rocks, where it had, doubtless, 
thrown itself after grounding, in its struggles to escape, the head 
and anterior part of the body being submerged, and swaying to 
and fro amid the breakers. It was generally supposed to be a 
whale, and was announced and placarded as such, though bearing 
no resemblance whatever to a whale, except in size. Though full of 
life, and apparently uninjured, it made no resistance to a tow-rope 
being attached, allowing itself to be dragged quietly along; but 
when landed there was no moving such a monster by manual 
force, though the attempt was made by some forty or fifty men, 
but the rope—one of considerable size, too—snapping, sent the 
whole crew on their backs, and horse-power had to be resorted to 
to drag it out of reach of the tide. The cause of its grounding 
has been accounted for in various ways, some saying it had been 
stunned, others that it was a weakly fish cast on the rocks; but 
there was no appearance whatever of any injury sustained, and it was 
a fine healthy-looking fish, in good condition. My opinion is that, 
in pursuit of prey of some kind, that dark snowy morning, it chanced 
to run on that prominent ridge; but, whether in search of food or 
not, it must have been swimming at a rapid rate to have been pro- 
pelled so far on the rocks, for had it merely grounded the flowing 
tide would have helped it off. 
There has been much speculation as to the food of the basking 
shark: Couch says, “it is not known,” but quotes an Orkney news- 
paper, wherein it is said that a captured fish of this species “ seemed 
to have taken a mouthful of herrings.” I am inclined to believe 
that it feeds on sea-weed, though nothing but a glutinous substance 
of a yellowish white colour was found in the stomach of this speci- 
men and the great width of the intestinal canal (eight inches) tends 
to prove that it is a vegetable feeder. Having secured a small por- 
tion of this adhesive and glutinous substance, it was submitted for 
