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detachf d by vicant or unproduaive fpots or patches. Crops 

 which are thus produced have an extremely difagreeable ap- 

 pearance, and are never promifing or produd^ive to the 



farmer. r » f 



Squally Land, a term fometimes applied to that lort ot 

 ground which is of the irregularly wet thm kind. 



SOU ALUS, the Shark, in Ichthyology, a genus ot hlhes 

 of the order Chondropterigious, or, according to more mo- 

 dern naturahits, of the Cartilaginous order : the generic 

 charader is as follows. The mouth is fituated beneath the 

 anterior part of the head, with numerous teeth difpofed in 

 rows. On each fide the neck, in moft of the fpecies, there 

 are five fpiracles of a fcmilunar fhape. The body is oblong, 

 and lomewhat cyhndrical. 



The animals of this genus are altogether marine } and are 

 laid to be rarer in the Baltic than in any other fea : they are 

 viviparous, and are obferved to produce more young at a 

 time than the rays ; but each is included, as is the cafe with 

 thofe filhes, in a quadrangular capfule or involucrum, each 

 extremity of which is extended into a long, contorted, car- 

 tilaginous thread of great length. Many of the fliarks are 

 faid to emit a phofphoric light during the darknefs of night : 

 they are chiefly of a folitary nature, and, in general, devour, 

 with the mod indifcriminating voracity, almoll every animal 

 fubitance, whether living or dead. A few fpecies are faid to 

 feed chiefly on fuci, and other marine vegetables. There are 

 about thirty-four fpecies enumerated by Gmelin, which are 

 feparated into different feftions. 



Species. 



A. IVilh temporal Orific: and anal Fia. 



Isabella. The firlt dorfal fin is oppofite the abdominal. 

 It inhabits the fouthern Pacific ocean, and has been obferved 

 about the coalts of New Zealand. It is thirty inches long ; 

 in colour it is yellowifli ; the teeth arc comprefled, (hort, 

 triangular, furniflied on each fide the bafe with a fmaller 

 lobe, and difpofed in fix rows ; the tongue is very (hort and 

 thick ; the dorfal fin is fubquadrangular ; the fecond placed 

 oppofite the anal fin ; the peftoral fins are very large ; the 

 ventral are feparate, and pointed behind. 

 ' • Canicular ; Spotted Dog-fifli. Noftrils furrounded 

 with a lobe and vermiform appendage ; the ventral fins are 

 diftinft. This inhabits molt feas, is about four or five feet 

 long, is very voracious, and feeds chiefly on fi(h ; the body 

 is of a reddifh-brown, with large diitinft fpots, which are 

 black above, but white beneath, a little comprefled at each 

 end : the ikin when dried is ufed for various purpofes. The 

 head is fmall ; fnout fliort ; eyes oblong ; pupil fea-green, 

 iris white ; the mouth is wide and oblong, with three rows 

 of teeth ; the tongue is cartilaginous, and with the palate 

 rough ; the vent is before the middle of the body ; the firft 

 dorlal fin behind the ventral, the fecond lefs, and nearly op- 

 pofite the anal ; the tail is narrow, ending below in a fliarp 

 angle, 



* Catulus ; I>efler Spotted Dog-fi(h. This fpecies is 

 fpccifically defcribed as having noftrils covered with a lobe 

 and vermiform appendage ; the ventral fins are connefted. 

 It inhabits the Northern, Mediterranean, and Indian feas. 

 Its habit is rather flender ; in length it is from two to three 

 feet ; the head is large ; fnout prominent, and flightly 

 pointed ; the fkin is rough ; the body cylindric ; the colour 

 pale brick-red, marked with very numerous, fmall, rounded, 

 blackilh or dufl<y fpots ; the abdomen is whitifli ; both the 

 dorfal fins are placed much nearer to the tail than the head ; 

 the ventral fins are connate, large, and of a (lightly pointed 

 form ; the anal fin is fmall ; the tail is long, bilobate, with 



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the lower lobe continued to a confiderable diflance beneath. 

 It is a moft voracious fifh. According to Mr. Pennant, it 

 breeds from nine to thirteen young at a time ; it is nume- 

 rous on our own coalls, and very injurious to the fifheries. 

 The liver, when taken or tailed as food, is highly noxious, 

 caufing a long-continued fi;upor, fuccecded by an univerfal 

 Itching, with a total peeling off" of the cuticle. 



Stellaris. Lobes of the noftrils double. This is found 

 in the European ocean, and is from two to fix feet long ; 

 it feeds chiefly on cruitaceous animals, moUufcx, and lefler 

 fifli ; the body is reddifli, with unequal blackifli fpots ; be- 

 neath it is of a dirty afli, and refemblcs the S. canicula, but 

 the fpots are larger and fewer ; the fnout is a little longer, 

 the tail fomewhat (horter, and the noftrils nearly clofed ; it 

 brings forth about twenty at a time. The dorfal fins are 

 equal ; the firlt a little behind the middle of the body, the 

 fecond a little behind the anal. 



* Galeus ; Tope. Teeth nearly triangular, ferrate ob 

 the inner edge. This fpecies is of confiderable fize, often 

 meafuring feveral feet in length, though the fpecimens ufu- 

 ally feen about the Britifh coafts fcarcely exceed the length 

 of about five feet. In its habits it refembles the white 

 Shark (which fee), being a very bold and rapacious fifli, 

 attacking fuch as happen to be accidentally expofed to it 

 with great violence and rapidity ; its fliape is rather flender ; 

 its c(3our pale cinereous above, and whitifli beneath ; the 

 nofe is long, flat, and pointed ; the noftrils are fituated near 

 the mouth, and behind each eye is a fmall orifice ; the teeth 

 are numerous, difpofed in three rows, fmall, very fliarp, tri- 

 angular, and ferrate on their inner edge. The firft dorfal 

 fin is placed about the middle of the back, and is rather 

 large ; the fecond is fmall, and fituated near the tail, which 

 is (mall, and terminates in two unequal lobes, of which the 

 lower is the broadeft. It has been allerted by able and well- 

 informed naturaUfts, that this fi(h is fo bold as to purfue it» 

 prey to the very edge of the fliore, and even to attack thofe 

 who are walking near the water's edge. It is fuppofed to 

 be the fifti mentioned by the name of canicula, which is 

 defcribed as highly dangerous to thofe employed in diving 

 for corals, fponges, &c. 



* MusTELUs ; Smooth Hound. The teeth of this fpecies 

 are very fmall and obtufe ; it has ftiort peftoral fins. The 

 fifli of this fpecies are of a flender habit ; their fnouts are 

 flightly fliarpened, and lengthened ; the firlt dorfal fin is 

 large, and placed nearly in the middle of the back ; the 

 fecond nearly oppofite the anal fin ; the tail is ftiaped as in 

 moft others of this tribe, or flightly bilobate; the lower lobe 

 is continued to fome diftance beneath ; the teeth are very 

 numerous, fmall, flightly convex, and fet as in Ravs (which 

 fee.) The general colour of the animal is of a greyifli-brown, 

 paler or whiter beneath ; fometimes varies in being marked 

 above by numerous white fpots. Tlie ftomach in this fifti 

 is furnilhed with feveral appendices, fituated near the py- 

 lorus ; it is found on our own coafts, and in other European 

 feas, and alfo in the Indian fea, and when full grown it is 

 about two feet long. 



Cirratus. The noftrils have a worm-fliaped appendage. 

 This fpecies inhabits the American and Pacific feas, and is 

 from one to five feet long; the body is coated with large 

 flat (hining fcales ; when young it is fpotted with black. The 

 head is depreilcd ; the fnout is fliort, obtufe ; the eyes and 

 temporal orifice fmall ; lips thick at the fides ; teeth nume- 

 rous, fliarp, long, dilated at the bafe ; the two hindmolt 

 fpiracles are approximate ; the vent is in the middle ; the 

 firft dorfal fin is oppofite the ventral ; the anal is fmall j the 

 tail is about a quarter as long as tjie body. 



Babbatus. The gape of the mouth is bearded with 

 4 vermiform 



