THE SAWFISH 



435 



wise, thereby giving a sweeping sidewise stroke 

 with its saw, and swiftly repeating it in the op- 

 posite direction. On a Sawfish fourteen feet in 

 length, the saw is about four and a half feet long, 

 and the teeth project about one and a half inches 

 from the bone. 



This creature is an intermediate form between 

 the sharks and the typical rays, and in reality it is 

 a shark-ray. Its eyes are a-top of its head, its 

 mouth is underneath, its body in front of the dorsal 

 fin is quite well flattened, and its pectoral fins have 

 "ray" written all over them. The maximum 



tends outward to the very tips of the wing-like 

 fins. Upon this is laid a thin layer of flesh, and 

 over all is spread the rough and tough skin. The 

 tail is like a long, stiff whip, with a many-barbed 

 bone stiletto midway, — a very dangerous weapon 

 to be so carelessly exposed. 



To a taxidermist, the mounting of a large ray is 

 about the most calamitous task he can possibly 

 encounter. The trouble lies in the perpetual 

 shrinking after mounting. 



The Sting Ray,' or, by corruption, "Stinga- 

 ree," is one of the greatest pests of the eastern 



THE SAWFISH. 



length attained by it is said to be 15 feet. Because 

 of the long, flat beak of this creature, it has become 

 associated in many minds with the swordfish, but 

 structurally the two are as far apart as a deer and 

 a bear. 



Notwithstanding the fact that there exists a 

 group called the Order of Fiat-Fishes (halibuts, 

 flounders and soles), the rays are by far the flattest 

 of all fishes. For example, the Spotted Ray of 

 Ceylon is about 5 feet across, 5 inches thick at the 

 centre of the body, and at the edges its great wings 

 flatten out into thin air. From the body, which 

 really is quite small, and centrally located, a thin 

 sheet of cartilage, consisting of a great number of 

 very long, jointed rays firmly joined together, ex- 



coast of the American continent. From Cape 

 Cod to the Orinoco, and I know not how much 

 farther beyond, this vindictive and cruel fish lies, 

 assassin-like, half buried in the sand along shore, 

 ready and anxious to drive its spine into any 

 naked foot that comes within striking distance. 

 The upper surface of the animal closely resembles 

 the loose sand in which it hides, and the spine 

 makes a ragged and ugly wound. The spine is 

 long, dagger-like, and barbed like an arrow all 

 along both edges, so that the withdrawal of it 

 from a wound is very painful. On the lower 

 Orinoco I saw a strong man who was then in the 

 seventh week of disability from the stroke of a 

 1 Try'gon sa-bi'na. 



