TION. 



Class IV. PORBEAGLE SHARK. 153 



than that it is a Cornish fish, and a small species 

 of shark, we in our former edition were obliged 

 to form the best description we could from the 

 print. 



In 1793 I had an opportunity at Brighthelm- 

 stone, of examining a recent specimen. Its Descrif- 

 length was three feet nine inches ; the girth in 

 the thickest part two feet one inch. The nose 

 very long, slender towards the end, sharp point- 

 ed, and punctured beneath ; the teeth long and 

 slender, with a small process on each side ; three 

 rows in the upper jaw, the same on the sides of 

 the lower, but only two rows in the front of the 

 latter; the body very thick and deep, but ex- 

 tremely slender and flatted just on the setting- 

 on of the tail. The sides near that part distended 

 and sloping, thinning to an edge. The first 

 back fin placed almost in the middle, the other 

 pretty near the tail; the belly very deep; the 

 ventral and anal fins small ; the tail bifurcated ; 

 the upper fork a little longer than the lower; 

 adjoining to it was a transverse dent above and 

 below : the color of the whole upper part, the 

 sides, fins and tail, dusky, tinged obscurely with 

 green and blue; beneath, from the tip of the 

 nose, and also part of the sides, were entirely 

 white. 



