236 
SCIENCE. 
DO SHARKS SWALLOW THEIR YOUNG FOR 
PROTECTION? 
To the Editor of Science : 
Sir: In the New York Tribune for July 7, 1880, un- 
der the heading “A Female Shark Captured,” was 
printed a statement made to a reporter by Mr. Eugene 
G. Blackford, well and favorably known to the community, 
not only as one of the largest dealers in fish at Fulton 
Market, but also as an enthusiastic co-operator with the 
United States Fish Commission. The essential parts of 
the statement are as follows : “ A Porbeagle shark 
{Lanina punctata )* was caught off Great Neck, 
Long Island, and came into my possession not more 
than seven hours after death. From the immense 
size ol her stomach I thought she must have 
swallowed a barrel or two of moss-bunkers, and to 
gratify my curiosity I opened her. I found ten little 
shark, evidently her offspring, and all just the same 
size — exactly two feet long. I should say they were 
about six months old, for a shark when hatched from 
the egg measures about four inches. It has been a 
disputed question among fishermen whether young sharks 
in time of danger do not seek safety in their mother’s 
stomach. I think this case proves that they do, for the 
little ones were perfectly sound, with no mark of diges- 
tion upon them.” 
In answer to a request for more explicit information, 
Mr. Blackford, August 25, wrote me a letter from which, 
with his permission, I extract the following: “Just as 
the men were about to open the shark I was called away. 
When I returned they showed me the ten young, but I 
did not preserve them. The men said they were in the 
stomach, but the viscera had been thrown away, so I 
could not verify their statement. As I understand it, 
sharks are oviparous and not viviparous, so they could 
not have been in the womo. Will you kindly let me 
have your opinion on this? Should another specimen 
ever come into my hands I shall take great care that it is 
scientifically examined if you think it is of importance.” 
In reply, I informed Mr. Blackford that many species 
of sharks bring forth living young, and expressed the 
opinion that the little ones found by his men were really 
in the enlarged oviducts rather than in the true stomach, 
and suggested that he should publish some qualification 
of the original account, or authorize me to do so for him. 
As time passed without my hearing from him, I con- 
cluded that he was preparing a note upon the subject, 
and hoped, moreover, that no journal under scientific 
supervision would give even a qualified sanction to the 
original statement without making enquiries like my own. 
Nevertheless, the paragraph in the Tribune was copied, 
substantially, into the Scientific American for July 31, 
and formed the basis of the following “ Zoological Note” 
in th e American Naturalist for October: “ Mr. E. G. 
Blackford states that ten sharks, two feet in ltngth and 
apparently about six months old, were taken from the 
stomach o a mackerel shark ( Lanina punctata), as if 
they had got there to avoid danger. Still, it is probable 
that sharks may eat their voung.” 
Upon hearing of this dissemina'ion of the error, Mr. 
Blackford wrote me on the 19th and 28th of October: 
“ I was under the impression that I wrote you before to 
make what corrections, you saw proper, to the shark story. 
I have given corrected statements to the World news- 
paper, and to Forest and Stream, and should be only too 
happy to have you make further corrections, as there is 
nothing I regret so much as to have anything purporting 
to emannate from me that looks like a yarn.” 
Availing myself of Mr. Blackford’s permission I repeat, 
that, while it may not be right to deny the possibility of 
young sharks seeking refuge from danger— as do some 
* It is also known as the Mackerel shark, and ha been named Lamna 
spallanvaniiy and Isuropis dekayi. I 
snakes— by entering the mouth of the parent, the case in 
question furnishes not a particle of evidence in favor of 
that idea, and the little sharks were probably the unborn 
young, closely packed in the enlarged oviducts of the 
mother. b. G. Wilder. 
Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., Nov. 4, 1880. 
A FINE BOLIDE. 
By Eijwin E. Sawyer. 
A bolide, the most brilliant I have ever witnessed, ap- 
peared on the evening of October 25th, at 8 h. 10 
min. C. M. T. It commenced near e Persei, at R. A. 
55 ° + 4 °° Dec., and exploded above a Aurigae (Capella), 
at R. A. 76 + 52 Dec. When first observed it was as 
bright as a 1st mag. star, and of a deep orange color. 
As it slowly proceeded it grew rapidly brighter, (its color 
in the meanwhile changing to light yellow and then 
white) first exceeding y (Jupiter) in brilliancy, and then 
$ (Venus), and at the moment of the explosion was 
many times brighter than the latter planet. Several dis- 
tinct flashes were noted during its flight. At the mo- 
ment of explosion (accompanied by a very vivid flash) 
the nucleus appeared somewhat elongated and of a pale 
green color, while the points of light and sparks radiating 
from it were of a beautiful red. During the first half of 
its course there appeared to be little or no streak accom- 
panying the bolide ; but during the latter part of its path 
a broad and intensely white streak was observed, which, 
however, disappeared almost immediately after the ex- 
tinction of the nucleus. 
The bolide was three and a half seconds in traversing 
a path of 1 7 0 , its velocity gradually increasing up to the 
point of explosion. No detonation was heard, although 
particularly listened for. 
The radiant point of this bolide was somewhere along 
its apparent path prolonged backwards. This path 
when carried back passes a few degrees north of e 
Arietis, and remarkably close to a radiant point of an im- 
portant meteor shower, lately determined and particularly 
described by Mr. W. F. Denning, F. R. A. S., in the 
Science Observer, Vol. I, No. 7. This shower appears to 
endure from October 20th to November 13th, with a 
maximum on October 31-Nov. 4th. The meteors from 
this shower are generally slow moving apd very bright. 
Two bodies, equal in brightness to Venus, were observed 
in England on the evening of November 4th, 1877, by 
Messrs. Wood and Backhouse, and traced to this radiant. 
The position of this special meteor stream is at about 
R. A. 43 0 + 22° near e Arietis. Several quite bright and 
short meteors (including one nearly stationary) belonging 
to this shower were observed by the writer trom Nov. 7 
to 19th, 1879, and giving a well determined position as at 
R. A, 47 0 + 24°. A rough sketch of the bolide as it ap- 
peared at the moment of explosion is here given. 
Duplicate observations of this fine bolide are desired 
and would be of great value. 
Cambridgeport, Oct. 31st, 1880. 
