WHITE SHARK. 



323 



a blueish or greenish cast, rather small, and half 

 overhung by their skinny veil : the pectoral fms 

 are large, strong, broad, and pointed : the first 

 dorsal fin moderately large, somewhat falcated 

 behind, and pointed : the second is situated very 

 low on the back, near the origin of the tail which is 

 slightly lengthened, and of a bilobate shape, the 

 upper lobe or division slightly pointed, and the 

 lower or terminal lobe rather rounded : so great is 

 the strength of this part, that even a young Shark 

 of about six feet in length is able by a stroke of its 

 tail to break a man^s leg ; it is usual therefore with 

 sailors to cut off the tail the instant they drag a 

 shark on board : the anal fin is placed somewhat 

 beyond the middle of the abdomen, and is of mo- 

 derate size, and of a somewhat square outline : the 

 general colour of the whole animal is a pale or 

 whitish ash, darker or browner on the upper parts : 

 the mouth is situated . considerably beneath the 

 front, for which reason the animal is said, like most 

 others of this genus, to be obliged to turn on its 

 back in order to seize its prey ; an observation as 

 ancient as the days of Pliny, " resupinati mrant : 

 affert moram providentia Naturce, quia nisi resupini 

 atque conversi, non comphmt ^ Pl'm^ lib. 9. c. 8. 

 This however is much doubted by Dr. Bloch, who 

 rather supposes the Shark to seize its prey in a 

 direct position, or like the generality of fishes. The 

 skin of the Shark is very rough, and is used for a 

 kind of shagreen, as well as for smoothing various 

 kinds of wood-work, &c. and from the liver is drawn 

 a great quantity of oil. 



