TION. 



Class IV. PORBEAGLE SHARK. 153 



than that it is a Cornish fish, and a small species 

 of shark, we in our former edition were obliged 

 to form the best description we could from the 

 print. 



In 1793 I had an opportunity at Brighthelm- 

 stone, of examining a recent specimen. Its Descrip- 

 length was three feet nine inches ; the girth in 

 the thickest part two feet one inch. The nose 

 very long, slender towards the end, sharp point- 

 ed, and punctured beneath ; the teeth long and 

 slender, with a small process on each side ; three 

 rows in the upper jaw, the same on the sides of 

 the lower, but only two rows in the front of the 

 latter ; the body very thick and deep, but ex- 

 tremely slender and flatted just on the setting 

 on of the tail. The sides near that part distended 

 and sloping, thinning to an edge. The first 

 back fin placed almost in the middle, the other 

 pretty near the tail; the belly very deep; the 

 ventral and anal fins small ; the tail bifurcated ; 

 the upper fork a little longer than the lower; 

 adjoining to it was a transverse dent above and 

 below : the color of the whole upper part, the 

 sides, fins and tail, dusky, tinged obscurely with 

 green and blue; beneath, from the tip of the 

 nose, and also part of the sides, were entirely 

 white. 



