GaalV,, BLUE SHARE 85 
ter in its belly. This faét has been fince confirmed 
_ by the obfervation of one of our beft icthyologifts*, 
and is no more incredible, than that the young of the 
Opoffum fhould feek an afylum in the ventral pouch 
of its parent, a fact too well known to be contefted. 
But this degree of care is not: peculiar to the blue 
fhark, but we believe common to the whole genus. 
This fpecies frequents many of our coafts, but 
particularly thofe of Cornwall during the pilchard 
feafon, and is at that time taken with great iron 
hooks made on purpofe. 
It is of an oblong form: the nofe extends far 
beyond the mouth: it wants the orifices behind the 
eyes, which are ufual in this genus: the noftrils are 
jong, and placed tranfverfely. Artedi remarks a 
triangular dent in the lower part of the back. 
The {kin is fmoother than that of other fharks; 
the back is of a fine blue color; the belly of a fil- 
very white. 
Linnaeus fays, that its teeth are granulated; for our 
part we muft confefs it is a fifh that has not come 
under our examination, therefore hope to be fa- 
vored with an accurate defcription from fome Natu- 
lift, who lives on the coaft it haunts. 
We may add, that Rowdeletius fays he was an eye- 
witnefs to its fondnefs for human flefh; that thefe 
fith are lefs deftructive in our feas, is owing to the 
coolnefs of the climate, which is well known to abate 
the fiercenefs of fome, as well as the venom of other 
animals, 
* Rondeletias, 388. ee 
NI. The 
Defer, 
