372 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



dead. This circumstance, with his great strength, is the cause 

 of the name which has been given him by the fishermen here, 

 as they have never been able to succeed in taking one of them, 

 and were firmly of opinion it was impossible to do so. 



' ' On measurement, it was found to be in length and breadth 

 much the same, about fifteen feet, and in depth from three to 

 four feet. It had the appearance of having no head, as there 

 was no prominence at its mouth ; on the contrary, its exterior 

 margin formed, as it were, the segment of a circle; with its arc 

 towards the animal's body, and opening into a large cavity of 

 about two feet and a half in width, without teeth, into which a 

 man went with so much ease, that I do not exaggerate when 

 I say, that another might have done so at the same time. On 

 each side of the mouth projected a mass of cartilaginous sub- 

 stance like horns, about a foot and a half long, and capable of 

 meeting before the mouth. These feelers moved about a great 

 deal in swimming, and are probably of use in feeding. On 

 looking on this animal as it lay on the ground with its back 

 upwards, it might be said to be nearly' equal in dimensions on 

 every side, with the exception of the two lateral extremities, 

 extending to a point about four feet from the body, and a tail 

 about five feet long, four and a half inches diameter at the 

 root, and tapering to a point. Above the root of the tail was 

 the dorsal fin, and on each side of it a flat and flabby substance 

 close to the body, of the appearance of fins. There'were no 

 other distinct fins, and its sole propelling power seemed to be 

 its two lateral extremities, which became very fiat and thin 

 towards the point. As it shows these much in swimming, it 

 gives a spectator an extraordinary idea of its size, as, to him 

 imperfectly seen, the conclusion naturally is, if the breadth is 

 so great, how much greater must the length be. This animal 

 was a female, and was viviparous. On opening it, a young 

 one, about twenty pounds weight, was taken out, perfectly 

 formed, and which had been preserved. Wishing to know 

 what it fed upon, I saw the stomach opened, which was round. 



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