Class IV. ANGEL SHARK. 131 



character of both ; yet is an exception to each 

 in the situation of the mouth, which is placed 

 at the extremity of the head. It is not unfre- 

 quent on most of our coasts, where it prowls 

 about for prey like others of the kind. It is 

 extremely voracious, and, like the Ray, feeds 

 on flounders and flat fish, which keep at the 

 bottom of the water, as we have often found on 

 opening them. It is extremely fierce and dan- 

 gerous to be approached ; we knew an instance 

 of a fisherman, whose leg was terribly torn by 

 a large one of this species, which lay within his 

 nets in shallow water, and which he went to lay 

 hold of incautiously. 



The aspect of these, as well as of the rest of 

 the genus, have much malignity in them : their 

 eyes are oblong, and placed lengthways in the 

 head, sunk in it, and overhung by the skin, and 

 seem fuller of malevolence than fire. 



Their skin is very rough ; the antients made 

 use of it to polish wood and ivory,* as we do at 

 present that of the greater dog-fish. The flesh 

 is now but little esteemed on account of its 

 coarseness and rankness, yet Archestratus (as 

 quoted by Athenceus, p. 319.) speaking of the 

 fish of Miletus, gives this the first place, in 



* Qua lignum et ebora poliuntur. Plin. lib. ix. c. 12. 



K 2 



