240 The Philippine Journal of Science isie 



nowhere in the Philippine Islands. The liver of the shark is 

 rich in oil, and shark skin makes excellent leather for certain 

 uses. From it are manufactured the most expensive scabbards 

 and coverings for sword grips, certain expensive Morocco bind- 

 ings, coverings for jewel boxes, etc. The crude skin is also made 

 into rasps for cabinet makers. A recipe for tanning shark skin 

 was given in a previous paper.* 



In some countries sharks are canned and used as food ; in other 

 countries they are manufactured into fertilizer. They seem to 

 fill both uses equally well. 



KINDS AND VALUES OF SHARK FIN 



In general terms, shark fin is called white fin or black fin, 

 although none of the fins are perfectly white or perfectly black. 

 The so-called white fin is drab, and the black fin is dark gray. 

 All of the fins of the shark are used for soup ; they are divided 

 into several groups of different values, depending upon the color, 

 size, and variety. The ordinary commercial classification of 

 shark fin and the present market values of the different classes 

 are as follows: 



Large white-spotted fin {Plate II, fig. 1). — This is the mano- 

 mano of the Moros and the boon leong sit of the Chinese. This 

 fin is drab with scattered white spots ; the dorsal fin of this varie- 

 ty is from 25 to 30 centimeters high. This is the most valuable 

 of all the shark fins, being worth 120 pesos * per picul.^ I was 

 told by a reliable Chinese merchant that soup made from this 

 fin was sold for 5 dollars (Hongkong) per cup in Hongkong. It 

 is believed to possess especially invigorating properties. 



Large white fin; chu sit {Plate II, fig. 2). — The chu sit is 

 similar to the boon leong sit in color and size, but it has no white 

 spots. Its value is from 50 to 60 pesos per picul. 



Small white-spotted fin. — This kind of fin has the same 

 Chinese name as the large white-spotted fin and consists of fins 

 from the small or young sharks of the same species. The value 

 is 60 pesos per picul. 



Small white fin; peh sit {Plate II, fig. 3) . — This fin is drab and 

 without white spots ; its value is about 55 pesos per picul. 



Small white fin {Plate II, fig. Jf) .—This fin is called khiam sit 

 by the Chinese and pindong by the Moros. It is the poorest 



• This Journal, Sec. D (1911), 6, 312. 



^ One peso equals 100 centavos Philippine currency, equals 50 cents United 

 States currency. 



° One picul equals 63.25 kilograms. 



