BASKING SHARK. 
1147 
“The Basking Shark fishery,” writes Nilsson from 
notes taken about seventy years ago, “commences on 
the west coast of Norway about the middle of August. 
The boats used are about 18- — 20 ells (107 — 119 dm.) 
long, carry all the tackle requisite for the fishery, and 
are manned by a crew of four. These boats cruise 
along the coast, and the Shark generally appears in 
their wake and comes close to the boat, but is some- 
times found lying still at the surface. One of the 
crew then takes the harpoon, which is furnished with 
a long shaft (a pole), and plunges it with all his might 
into the fish. The others lend a helping hand, ‘but 
the moment the bone is touched, he plunges to the 
bottom.’ The harpoon-line, which is about 14 — 15 
score fathoms (530 — 565 in.) long, and which lies coiled 
up ( Jcveilet ) and clear, runs out so rapidly that water 
must be poured on the bulwark to prevent it from 
catching fire. On reaching the bottom the Basking 
Shark swims along until exhausted, towing the boat 
out to sea. Sometimes, if lean, it can hold out for 
twenty-four hours; if fat, it gives in after three or four 
hours. When it is tired out, they haul it up alongside 
the boat, and with a long knife cut the tail in front 
of the caudal fin, not quite off, for, if so treated, it 
would stave in the boat with lashes of the maimed 
limb; they leave a part of the fin hanging fast. After- 
wards they stab it to death with lances; then turn it 
belly upwards in the water, and lash it fast to the mast. 
Now one of the fishermen takes a long knife and cuts 
out a great piece at the fore end of the liver, where- 
upon he inserts his arm and severs all the bands and 
ties of the liver. Finally he cuts open the belly with 
a single slit, when the liver comes out and floats on 
the water like a bolster; but at the same moment the 
water rushes into the belly of the fish, and the lashings 
must be cut loose with haste, or the boat will sink.” 
This fishery was commenced, according to Gunnerus, at 
the middle of the eighteenth century, and was still 
practised, according to Nilsson, in 1820 — 1830; but it 
has now been abandoned as a special occupation, and 
for the last forty years the Basking Shark has been 
spoken of in Norway almost as a rarity. 
The Basking Shark is most sought after for its 
liver, which yields an excellent oil; but according to 
Gunnerus the poor at least were accustomed in his 
time to cut raiding and raf a from the flesh of the 
Basking Shark. The outer skin is used for polishing 
purposes; and the thick true skin is manufactured into 
saddles and shoe-soles. 
The Norwegian name of the Basking Shark is pro- 
nounced both brugde and brygde. Olafsen cites from 
Iceland the names of Ryner and Beinhaakal (Bony 
Greenland Shark), the latter having reference to the 
greater firmness which its skeleton displays than that 
of the Greenland Shark and of the smaller Sharks. In 
England too it is known as the Bone Shark. 
Fam. SOYLLIIDtE. 
Tiro dorsal fins and one anal , the first dorsal situated above the ventral fins or behind the perpendicular there- 
from; none of them with spine. Eyes without nictitating membrane. Spiracles open, comparatively large. 
Sharks of rather considerable dimensions and some- 
times dangerous to man * 6 are indeed not wanting within 
the present family, but most of the 25 species are 
middle-sized or small. By Gunther the Scyllioids are 
distributed among 7 genera. From the preceding Sharks 
they differ both in form of body and manner of life. 
Instead of pelagic rovers we here meet for the most 
part with bottom-fishes and littoral species of nocturnal 
habits, hiding themselves by day among seaweeds, on 
the sand or under rocks, where they lurk for prey. 
The fins are consequently of a more rounded or trun- 
cate form. The tail too is straighter, running in a 
line with the trunk, and without any marked upward 
curvature of the caudal fin, the tip of which forms a 
diphycercal lobe, in most cases not very obliquely cut, 
the anterior part- of the lower caudal lobe being similar 
in shape to the anal fin. Another character of fairly 
general validity in this family is the great development 
of the nostrils, which is frequently so advanced that 
these apertures are confluent, as in the Rays, with the 
a See above, p. 415. 
6 The Australian Wobbegong ( Crossorhinus ), see Hill in Tenison-Woods, Fish and Fisheries of N. S. Wales , p. 94. 
