458 The Young of Sharks. 



Mr. Bracebridge read a statistical account of the Union of Atherstone, 

 principally designed to show the nature and amount of the information 

 which could be procured through the agency of Boards of Guardians. 

 The paper did not enter into such minute details as that describing 

 Malton, and the author announced his determination to undertake 

 further inquiries for the purpose of rendering it more perfect. 



The Young of Sharks. From A Correspondent. 

 On the 27th of December 1840, when off the Coast of Luconia, 

 the sea being perfectly calm, I and some of the officers on board 

 were amusing ourselves with catching Sharks, and perceiving one 

 with an apparently very enlarged abdomen, we were very anxious 

 to secure it and, were at last successful. On opening its stomach, 

 twenty young Sharks, perfectly well formed, and in high life, about 1^- 

 foot in length, fell out ; we kept some of them alive, several days, in salt 

 water. I have one now preserved in spirits ; the only peculiarity 

 about it is, that between the side fins on the under part of the ^body 

 is a cord about 1|- inch long, resembling an umbilical cord. I have 

 never yet been able to meet with any good account of the natural 

 history of the Shark, especially as relates to the production of its 

 young ; and I should be very glad to hear from you or any of your 

 readers some remarks bearing on the fact above mentioned. 



Note. — Cartilaginous fishes are all viviparous, the young being perfectly form- 

 ed, and of very considerable size in proportion to the parent when produced. We 

 have seen seven or eight young Sharks, each ten inches long, extracted from a 

 parent about four feet in length; and we have seen a young Kay, which measured a 

 quarter of its parent's size, and quite as well formed, taken from the uterus. — Eds. 





