Sharks and Rays 



667 



Thoio h;i ir. Savilk-Kuit, F.Z.S.] 



OCELLATED DOG-FISH. 



[M,l/(i, if-un-Sa 



So called from the presence of the eje-like spots on the liody, two of wbk-h tau Ije scon above 



the breast-fins. 



and EouGii Hound, the Xurse, 

 the Picked Dog, and the 

 Silver Dog, or Tope. The 

 NuusE and Kough i-[ou.\D are 

 spotted h^opards of the sea, 

 and the latter has a very 

 curious property. If a fresh- 

 caugiit " row-hound," as the 

 fishermen pronounce the 

 name, he put in a basket or 

 boat's well witli pollack and 

 other fishes, the points of con- 

 tact will be marked by dis- 

 coloration of its neighbours. 

 This is probably due to some 

 acrid and bleaching secretion 

 of the row-hound's skin, for 

 which some economic use 

 might possibly be found. The 

 Picked Dog, or Spur-dog, has 

 \ery sharp spines in front of 

 both back-fins, and has there- 

 fore to be handled by the 



fishermeir very cautiously, often punishing their hands b.adly when entangled at night in the 



nets. Of Smooth Houxd.s there are two species or varieties, between which there is some 



confusion, and in one at any rate there are interesting anatomical peculiarities in the unborn 



fish (like many other sharks and dog-fishes, the smooth liound bears living young instead of 



depositing eggs), airy account of which would obviously be out of place in so short a description. 

 Generalh' speaking, then, the sharks are cartilaginous fishes, having the upper lobe of the 



tail larger than the lower, a shovel-shaped snout, and the crescent-shaped mouth beneath the 



head. Another peculiar feature of the group is the presence of breathing- spiracles behind 



the eyes ; while the latter 



have a manner of blinking 



not found in other fishes. Of 



the teeth, w-hich differ in 



structure from those of other 



kinds of fishes, there are 



several rows. The gill-open- 

 ings are lateral, and usually 



number five, though one 



species has six and another 



seven. "With the exception 



of the afore-mentioned 



Baskixg-shark and the Port 



Jacksox Shark, which the 



writer met with in Australia, 



they are all more or less 



dangerous ; and when of in- 



sutficient size to be harmful 



to man, do great damage 



anrong the lines and nets of 



the fishermen. Indeed, the 



J'hoto h'l A. -S. liudlaiul it- .^ons. 



The tail 



IXDIAN STKISG-EAT. 



ri armed with a powerful poison-spine. 



