THE SHARK. 
1x6 
in ftrength and celerity, in the formidable arrangement of 
his teeth, and in his infatiable defire of plunder *. 
The head and throat of the {hark are larger than the 
proportion to the body, which is {lender and tapered a- 
rv ay aim oil to a point as it approaches the tail. The teeth 
are broad at the bafe, but {lender and very {harp above , 
they are difpofed in five rows all around each jaw, and at 
their infertion are furnifhed with ftrong mufcles, by 
means of which the animal raifes or depreffes them ; 
when the (hark is at reft, they all lie flat in his mouth ; 
but when he comes forward to lay hold of his prey, thefe 
dreadful inftruments are fuddenly raifed, and the devoted 
animal, feiz.ed by them, inftantly dies, pierced with an 
hundred wounds. 
The animals of this genus have a wild and ferocious 
afpeft, that faithfully indicates the malignity of their na- 
ture : Their eyes are oblong, funk in the lockets, and 
placed longitudinally in the head, where they appear al- 
rooft overhung by the Ikin, and are full of malevolence 
and fire: The fins, to which they owe their rapidity of 
motion, are larger, and more numerous than thofe of moft 
other fillies : The body, though {lender, is poflefled of 
very ftrong mufcles, the fource of that aftoniiliing im- 
pulfe communicated by the tail. The whole external 
parts are covered with a rough and hard flein, "which was 
ufed by the ancients in polifliing wood and ivory; but 
is now applied to cover instrument cafes, the Ikin of the 
greater dog fifti furnifhing a preferable fliagreen f. 
The 
*' Galilfinidi's Nat. Hi fa vol. vi. 138, 
•l Biitifli Zoology, Cials iv. gen. 6. 
