CHAPTER IV 
SHARKS, DOG-FISHES, SKATES AND RAYS 
Ir may come as a surprise to some of my readers to 
know that there are seventeen different kinds of sharks 
to be met with in our waters, the largest being the ham- 
merhead, which reaches twelve or thirteen feet in length. 
On the Cornish coast the blue shark frequently breaks 
up the fishermen’s nets, and robs their lines of bait. 
This fish when hooked turns over and over, and twists 
the line round his body, so that he is gradually brought 
right up to the surface. The thresher shark may be seen 
from the cliffs, feeding on herrings and pilchards. Fre- 
quently, in order to round up a shoal of pilchards, he 
lashes the water with his tail, and when the terrified 
fish are herded together he works sad havoc among 
them. Some smaller members of the shark tribe are 
known as dog-fishes, of which the row-hound is the 
commonest. This scavenger of our seas appears to be 
everywhere, and no food comes amiss to him, and to 
the fisherman he is a perfect pest. Row-hound is a 
corruption for rough-hound, for the skin on this dog-fish, 
like other sharks, is covered with fine teeth-like scales. 
I remember taking a row-hound out of a tank on a 
cold day, with my sleeves turned up. The powerful fish 
twisted his body round my bare arm, and literally 
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