CARTILAGINOUS FISHES. 
513 
horror, but it is abandoned to the waves, and the sharks arrive. The 
mother is not far oft ; perhaps she weeps, bnt she dries her tears and 
thinks that her child has entered heaven through this horrible gate. 
The Dog-fish, Aoanthias vulgaris (Fig. 352), which sometimes 
attains the length of between three and four feet, is exceedingly 
voiacious. It feeds upon other fish, ol which it destroys great quan- 
tities; it does not hesitate to attack the fishermen, and especially 
bathers in the sea. It places itself in ambush, like the Raias, in 
order to attack its prey. The flesh of the dog-fish is hard, smells of 
musk, and is rarely eaten ; but the skin becomes an article of com- 
Fig. 352. The Dog-fish (Acanthias vulgaris). 
fierce, and is known as shagrin, being, like the skin of the shark, used for 
in S spectacle-cases and for other ornamental purposes, for which 
1 8 green colour and high polish recommend it. There is a smaller 
species than the preceding, which haunts rocky shores, where it lies in 
'ait for its prey. Its spots are larger and more scattered, and its 
mitral fins are nearly square. It feeds on molluscs, crustaceans, and 
s mall fishes. 
The Hammerhead, Zygsena malleus (Fig. 353), is chiefly distin- 
guished by the singular conformation of its head, which is flattened 
^orizontally, truncate in front, and the sides prolonged transversely, 
giving it the appearance of the head of a hammer. The eyes of this 
2 L 
