THE RAY KIND. 101 



the bottom. After that he drags him on shore, and makes a 

 luxurious feast for his neighbours, although the flesh of the 

 shark is a viand which the palate and stomach of none but a 

 savage can relish or digest. This animal, indeed, so formidable 

 when alive, is not of any great utility when dead, except that his 

 liver affords a few quarts of oil ; and his skin, which is the 

 most valuable part, is sometimes polished, and made up into 

 shagreen. 



Divine Wisdom, however, has not permitted that one creatu re 

 should, with uncontrollable despotism, tyrannize over the rest. 

 The shark, so formidable in the empire of the ocean, has, ex< lu- 

 sive of man, other enemies to fear. The remora follows 'aim 

 every where. This little fish has the power of adhering to any 

 thing on which it fixes, in the same manner as a cupping- jlass 

 sticks to the body. From this adversary, the shark, with all his 

 powers of annoyance and defence, is not able to disengage him- 

 self. It fixes itself upon his body, sticks immovably to it, 

 away its moisture, and produces a gradual decay. 



Of the shark, there are many varieties ; but they appear all 

 to have the same ferocious propensities, and in proportion to 

 their strength and size, to be equally formidable both to man and 

 to their fellow-inhabitants of the deep ; and all arc said to have 

 a predilection for human flesh. 



In the shark genus are included the several species of the dog- 

 fish, so common in most parts of the world ; as also a singular 

 species well known in the western ocean by the appellation of 

 the saw-fish, and remarkable for a curious instrument with which 

 its snout is furnished, and which resembles a saw : this ap- 

 pendage is sometimes not less than five feet in length. 



One very curious circumstance has been observed relative to 

 the shark. The young of this fish will, on the appearance of 

 danger, take refuge in the belly of the mother, by swimming 

 down her throat. This has been supposed peculiar to the blue 

 shark, but Mr. Pennant thinks it common to the whole genus. 



We shall now say something of 



THE RAY KIND, 



Of which the different species bear to each other so strong a 

 resemblance, as not to be easily distinguishable ; and a stranger 

 to this tribe may imagine that he is going to handle a skait, 

 when he is instantaneously paralyzed by the torpedo, or suppose 

 that he has caught a thorn-back, until he finds himself stung by 

 the fire-flare. 



Of all the larger fishes of the ocean, this kind is the most nu- 

 merous;, a circumstance which they owe in a great measure to 

 their size ; for, except the great white shark, and the spermaceti 

 11 I 2 



