Other Fish Products and their Uses. 263 



native workmen of the East for polishing wood and 

 ivory, and it is made into shagreen. That most used 

 now seems to be the skin of the ray (Hypolophus Sepketi), 

 which is very common on the Malabar coast, and an 

 extensive commerce is now carried on in them in the 

 Indian Ocean ; they are found in the Sea of Oman, and 

 also taken at Mahe. The house of Giraudon, i, Rue de 

 Hasard Richelieu, Paris, makes excellent use of them for 

 morocco and tabletterie. At the Paris Exhibition, 1878, 

 this firm exhibited two cases with numerous illustrations 

 of the ornamental application of the prepared skin in large 

 office-table inkstands, candlesticks, boxes and caskets, 

 paper knives, reticules, card-cases, frames for photographs, 

 bracelets, scent-bottles, etc. The long tail is also used for 

 canes and penholders. 



Peau de rousette (Squdlus catulus and caniculus, Lin.). 

 This fish, called chat at Marseilles, and crm in Catalonia, 

 is smaller than the angel fish. The skin, reddish and 

 without spots, is of a uniform grain, flat, and only used to 

 make cases and other articles known as shagreen. These 

 skins come from the Mediterranean, and are imported 

 in bundles by the sailors, selling at from 30J. to 36^. the 

 dozen, according to size. 



Peau de chien de mer is another name given in France 

 to some species of Squalus or requin. That usually found 

 on the French coasts is known under the names of chien 

 marin, chat marin, rousette tigrie (Squalus catulus, Lin.). 

 Turners, cabinet-makers, and carpenters use the skin for 

 scraping and smoothing their work before polishing ; metal- 

 workers and others also employ it. This skin, when worked 

 up with the tubercules with which it is studded, takes 

 the name of galuchat, and is ordinarily dyed green, to 

 cover cases, sheaths, and boxes. Under the name of 



