Otkei^ Fish Products and their Uses. 261 



workman who employed it first. The greater part of the 

 Selacians, viz., the rousettes, sharks, humantins, aiguillats, 

 leiches, etc., have a rough skin, which is used for covering 

 boxes, and also for polishing wood. The greatest con- 

 fusion exists among merchants as to the names given to 

 the different skins. Each tradesman applies, according to 

 his fancy, the name of peau de reqidn, pcaiL die chien de mer, 

 chagrin, and even galiLchat. From specimens of the various 

 skins, the following would seem to be the species utilized : — 



1. Shark skin, from a young shark ; small, imbricated 

 scales, somewhat translucid, with longitudinal lines, the 

 border or edge entire and circular. This edge is free on 

 the body, but attached on the fins. This skin serves for 

 covering cases, etc., but is not rough enough for polishing. 



2. Skin of mottled rousette {Scylliiiin, Cuv.). Tuber- 

 culous, imbricated, horny, fine and hard scales, very near 

 one to the other, and transparent, each triangular. Skin 

 much used for polishing. Some persons state that " false 

 galuchat " is made of it by rubbing off the scales, which 

 leaves a square figure that becomes very showy when the 

 skin is applied on a green paper. " I rather believe," con- 

 tinues M. Guibourt, " that the false galuchat is made with 

 the skin of the aiguillat." 



3. Pcau de leiche {Scymmis), sold to cabinet-makers 

 under the name of pean de chien de i?ier, is covered with 

 nearly rhomboid, tuberculous, semi-transparent scales, 

 arranged one near the other in quincunxes. 



4. Peaic daiguillat {Spinax acanthias^ Cuv.). — Viewed 

 with a magnifying glass, this skin appears covered with 

 small square opaline scales, not rough like the preceding, 

 but much used by the gainiers or sheath-makers, for its 

 glossy nacreous aspect. 



5. Pean de sagri {Spinax 7iiger, Cuv.). Same uses as the 



