THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, 207 
bony sword, each edge of which is armed with sharp 
bony spines, resembling teeth, pointing backwards: 
there are about twenty of these in each row. The 
body also is covered on the upper surface with hard 
sharp tubercles, the points of which turn backwards. 
In this respect, it resembles some of the Ray or Skate 
tribe, as it does also in the flattened form of its body, 
and in other respects. Its colour is a dark grey on 
the upper parts, gradually softening into white 
beneath. This species was known to the ancients, 
being found in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in 
the Ocean, but itis in the tropical seas that it acquires 
its most gigantic dimensions. It seems to be an animal 
of scarcely less ferocity, though far less frequently 
met with, than the Common Shark: to the Whales it 
is a formidable antagonist, and though the form of its 
saw-like sword does not seem most adapted for pene- 
trating a resisting body, such is the vigour of its 
attack, that it will bury its weapon to the root in the 
flesh of the Whale; and instances are not infrequent 
in which it has been found firmly imbedded in the 
hull of a ship. The following interesting narrative, 
by Captain Wilson of the Halifax packet, gives us 
an idea of the powers of this monster:— 
“Being in the Gulf of Paria, in the ship’s cutter, 
on the 15th of April, 1839, I fell in with a Spanish 
canoe, manned by two men, then in great distress, 
who requested me to save their lives and canoe, with 
which request I immediately complied; and going 
alongside for that purpose, I discovered that they 
had got a large Saw-fish entangled in their turtle- 
net, which was towing them out to sea, and. but for 
