NATURAL HISTORY of NORW A T. 115 



nets. In Nordland they make a fort of difh of them, cutting 

 the flefh into long flips, and drying them-; which is more 

 delicate than that of Helle-flynders ; or elfe they pickle therm, 

 and eat them as they do pickled Herrings. 



SECT. VII. 



The Haae, the Shark : this is a very extenfive tribe.; the Haae. 

 feveral kinds are very different in fize, like the dog-kind, which 

 creatures they alfo refemble in fiercenefs and voracioufnefs, deitroy- 

 ing other Fifh. Hence the Shark is called Canis Carcharias : but 

 they moftly refemble the dog-fpecies in this ; viz. that there are 

 fome very large, even feveral fathoms in length, and fome very 

 fmall, about two feet when full grown : but before I defcribe 

 each of thefe forts in particular, I (hall fpeak of them in general ; 

 namely, firft, that they have no bones, properly fo called, ex- 

 cepting that of the back, but only a cartilaginous or griftly fub- 

 ftance, inftead of bones : in the fecond place, they do not, like 

 moft kinds of fifh, eject their fpawn, but are viviparous, and, 

 like the Whale, bring forth their young alive, five or fix at a 

 birth, from a fort of umbilical opening. In its belly are a kind 

 of eggs, as large as a hen's ; but they are foft, and have no white. 

 They hang together as it were by a thread, and ferve for food 

 fometimes for the poorer fort *. In the third place, their skin is 

 hard, rough, and full of a vaft number of fmall prickles ; their 

 fins are large, broad, and thick, which goldfmiths, ivory-turners, , 

 carvers, 8cc. make ufe of to polifh their work. The Gulhaaen, 

 one of this kind of fifh, which fhall be prefently defcribed, 

 has not fuch a rough skin, but in that particular is like other 

 Fifh. The fourth obfervation I fhall make is, that the mouth of 

 the whole tribe of Sharks is not placed like that of any othes 

 kind of Fifh, but underneath a pretty long fnout, which juts 

 out, defigned, as it were, to prevent their deflroying other Fifh 

 in too great quantities ; for they are obliged to turn upon their 

 backs when they would devour their prey, unlefs it happens to 

 fwim jufl under them. This wife contrivance of Providence God's provi . 

 tends, no doubt, to the prefervation of other Fifh in fome Mea- dence ' 

 fure, becaufe the Shark is the fiercefl and mofl voracious of all 

 the Sea-fifh f . He bites very keenly, and has a vafl appetite : 



Part II. G g he 



,. * The young Shark lies in a different pofture from that of moll Fifh of the vivi- 

 parous kind in its mother's womb, and has a communication by a fmall tube, with 

 the egg above-mentioned, and receives its nourifhment from it to the time of its birth. 

 ■f Mr. Derham entertains the fame opinion of God's providence in this particular, 

 in his Phyfico-Theolic. B. iv. c. 14. fpeaking of the Shark, or the Canis Carcharias, 



he 



