538 - Storer on the 
S. acanthias. Lin. The picked Dog-fish. 
Pennant's British Zoology, vol. iv. p. 88. 
Shaw’s Zoology, vol. v. pt. ii. p. 33 
Mc Murtrie's Cuv. vol. ii. p. 288. 
Yarrell’s British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 400, et fig. 
This. Species is known in Great Britain by the 
name of “ Picked or Piked Dog,” from the strong 
spine at the commencement of dinhi dorsal fin. Our | 
fishermen called it * Dog-fish.” In the spring and 
autumn, the dog-fish appear in shoals in our bay; 
they are frequently met with in immense numbers. 
At their appearance, smacks are fitted out at Truro 
and. Provincetown for their capture, to the neglect 
of other fishing, for the oil they furnish ; and it is 
said to be quite a lucrative business. The fishes 
themselves are dried for food for the cattle, and their 
skin is considerably used for polishing, by the me- 
chanie. They average about eight or ten pounds 
weight; sometimes they weigh fifteen pounds. 
They are readily caught with the hook. These 
shoals seldom remain in shallow water, or near the 
shore, more than three or four days; they feed upon 
the offal and garbage thrown upon the bottom by 
the fishermen, and so perfectly do they clean the 
ground, that it is observed by old fishermen, that 
when the spri a of dog-fish has been unusually 
fou 
; ca 
land, the flesh of this P is much eaten by the 
lower el ^s, and the refuse portions afford a valu- 
able manu : = 
