746 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HLST. SOCLETY, Vol. XXIV. 



Carckarias melanopterus, 



and he is at once distinguished from i;7CMS^>i(Z«^«<s by having the extremi- 

 ties of all the fins coloured black. A specimen which was captured on the 

 customary tackle measured as under : — 

 Ler.,gth.—5 ft. 6 inches. 

 We{ffht.~88 lbs. 



Girth. — 33^ inches, 

 and the great feature of the fight was the manner in which it continually 

 hurled itself into the air, and it may be taken for granted that the homely 

 adage '' distance lends enchantment " was not ignored ! 



A point of considerable interest, in connection with this particular speci- 

 men is that when it was cut open, six perfectly formed embryos were found 

 in situ. The following measurements were most carefully recorded: — 



Weight of embryos — -10 oz., 10 oz., 11 oz., 11^ oz., llf oz., 11| oz. 



Length. — 16 inches to 16^ inches. 



As regards the size to which these two species grow, Day furnishes some 

 illuminating data. We read that : — 



" tricusindatus attains at least 20 feet in lengtli— one on board a native 

 craft measuring that length ! '" 



and that — 



"■ The liver of one [melanopterus) at the Government Fish-oil Factory at 

 Calicut weighed 270 lbs. !" 



No wonder the Shark has a reputation for venom and animosity ! 



There is still one featui-e that has escaped comment. This group of 

 Sharks possesses a distinctive mark in the form of a natural pit at the base 

 of the caudal fin. 



In reality this so called pit bears much more resemblance to a " snick " 

 or " notch " than it does to a " cavity." The imaginative mind can conjure 

 up the scene where the Potter horrified and enraged at the malicious Gorgon 

 that he has shaped is in the act of severing its tail, and so ensuring its 

 destruction, when he in turn is by some unseen Power suddenly turned into 

 stone. Does this notch at the base of the caudal fulfil any useful function, 

 or is it merely one naore of Nature's incomprehensible freaks ? 



Lucky indeed will be the angler who can claim that he has caught every 

 species of game-fish that it is possible to capture in any given locality. 

 In the case of the writer there are some species that never felt the prick of 

 his heavy sea-gaff, and these varieties will now be tabulated. 



Hour. (Species undetermined.) 



The Hour (the '" on " being pronounced as " our " ) is wholly and entirely 

 a deep-sea fish very rarely approaching within the 15 fathom limit. In 

 contour it bears a marked similitude to the tuna, though of a diminutive 

 type probably not exceeding 30 lbs. in maximum weight ; the Hour would 

 therefore seem to be one of the three species of genus Thynnus mentioned 

 by Day. In east bay of Jask from October to March the Hour can be seen 

 in shoals splashing about on the surface, and making graceful slanting 

 leaps in all directions. Many an afternoon did the writer devote to the 

 downfall of the Hour ; but never a single individual fish was circumvented. 

 It is evident therefore that neither mullet nor a moran constitute his natural 

 diet ; for svich lures were spurned with positive contempt. The Hour is 

 essentially a surf ace-feeder, and it may be that some description of Tuna plane 

 or kite, if employed, would being about his discomfiture, for he probably has 

 a relish for the flying-fish. In any event a field lies open in this direction 

 for the angler gifted with an inventive turn of mind. At certain seasons of 

 the year a veritable fleet of fishing dhows arrives at Jask from up the coast 



