CETORHiNiDa:. FISHES. LAMNina:. 
Family— OE’I'ORHINID^. 
One genus only of American forms, with one spe- 
cies, is embraced in tliis family, which was formerly 
included in the SqtLalidcB. 'I’he charactei'S are as 
follows: Branchial apertures are all before the pec- 
torals, long, and nearly sui'rounding the neck; teeth 
small, not denticulated, of various forms, and for the 
most part conical. 'I'lie tail has a carina on each side. 
BASKING SHARK [Cetorhinus maximus, Blain ). — 
Gill records this as doubtful as to species, having a 
range from Newfoundland to Hatteras. It is named, 
also. Sun-fish, Sail-fish and PIoe-motheu in Great 
Britain. Mitchill mentions the species as “a Shark 
of huge size, taken in considerable numbers near 
Provincetown, Cape Cod, for the oil of the liver; 
remarkable for having something in the mouth re- 
sembling the horny substance called whalebone, 
which has led to its being called Bone Shark.” De- 
Kay records : “'I’his Shark inhabits the Northern 
seas, and occasionally visits our coast in summer. 
His large size, and his habit of swimming near the 
surface, with his upper jaw projected out of the water, 
has suggested to ignorant credulity the idea of some 
huge monster, which lias received the name of Sea 
Serpent.” It has received its name from the habit 
of basking or lying quiet in one place for a length of 
time. Sluggish in habit, it has none of the ferocity 
attributed to other species. One taken near New 
York measured tvventy-eight feet in length and six- 
teen feet in circumference. DeKay says it attains 
the length of thirty-three feet. Storer says of this 
Shark: “'I'he Basking or Elephant-shark; length, 
thirty-six feet. Among our fishermen this is known 
as Bone Shark. It is rarely known on our coast, 
and when taken is usually harpooned.” Oapt. At- 
wood had met with only three specimens, one of 
which had drifted ashore in a state of decomposition. 
A fisherman visited the latter for the purpose of pro- 
curing a slice for his hens, as is the custom at Prov- 
incetown, supposing it to be a dead Whale. Ascer- 
taining what the animal was, he removed the liver 
and sold the oil (five or six barrels) in Boston for one 
hundred and three dollars. In 1848 quite a number 
of these Sharks were met with off Cape Elizabeth, 
near the coast of Maine, and several were secured. 
A tradition exists among the eastern fishermen that 
about one hundred years ago the Basking Shark was 
taken in considerable numbers for the oil. In Storer’s 
figure of this Fish the features are very singular and 
striking, d’he nose is blunt ; the gill openings exceed- 
ingly long, occupying nearly the whole depth of the 
shoulders, and the tail is large and curiously winged 
at the extremity. Yarrell figures this Fish, and says 
that it is called Sun-fish on the Welsh and Jrish 
coasts, from the fact that it lies on the surface of the 
water, nearly motionless, in the sun for a consider- 
able length of time. This writer says that the largest 
specimen he has seen was taken off Brighton, and 
measured thirty-six feet in length. The term Sail- 
fish is derived from the fact that the creature swims 
listlessly along the surface, exposing its dorsal fin 
like a sail abovo water. In Orkney it is called Hoe- 
ccliii 
mother, and by contraction Homer — that is, the 
Mother of the Picked Dog-fish, which is there called 
Hoe. The Basking Shark has teeth in unusually 
small proportion to its size. Linnaeus says that its 
food is Medusae, and Pennant considered that it sub- 
sisted on marine plants. 
Family— LAMNIDJ]]. 
'I'he body is fusiform ; the lower lobe of the caudal 
fin is a little smaller than the upper; the tail has a 
keel on each side; two dorsal fins, the first behind 
the pectorals; the head is pointed in the snout; the 
mouth huge and inferior; teeth large; the nostrils 
not confluent with the month ; the spiracles obsolete 
or entirely wanting; the branchial apertures very 
wide. 'I’his includes the Mackerel-shark and the 
Man-eater of American waters. The family was well 
represented in past geological epochs, and enormous 
teeth of Carcharodon are found in tertiary beds. 
The [ihosphate beds in South Carolina have yielded 
great numbers of remains of these enormous Sharks. 
'I’he collection made by Prof. Holmes, of Clnirles- 
ton, is in the American Museum, Central Park, New 
York, and exhibits the most remarkable series of 
these remains yet found. Several of the teeth of the 
fossil and .extinct Carcharodon are fully as large as 
the onts[)read human hand, and retain the enamel in 
a [lerfectly natural condition. 
MACKEREL-SHARK {Imroqjsis dekayi, Gill).— 
Called in Cuba, Dentuda. Ranges from Newfound- 
land to Florida. Recorded as doubtful as to species 
by Gill. DeKay describes this as the Mackebei.- 
PORBEAGLE (Laiiina punctata), length, ten feet two 
inches. 'I’his was an nnnsually large specimen, taken 
in the harbor of New York in 1840. 'I'he species 
received its name from being frequently seen in pur- 
suit of Mackerel. Its liver produces a large quantity 
of oil, which is highly esteemed by curriers. Storer 
says it weighs between two and four hundred pounds, 
measures from three to ten feet, and is the most 
common species found in the .Massachusetts waters, 
being met with during summer and autumn, when it 
annoys the fishermen greatly by biting off their lines 
while fishing for Cod. 'I'his Shark is also frequently 
entangled in nets set for Mackerel and Menhaden, 
producing thereby much annoyance and ruin. On 
the coast of Maine it is jiarticnlarly abundant during 
the warmer season. The Porbeagle of English 
waters, closely allied to the present species, is said 
to have derived its name from the fact that it hunts 
in small companies, like a pack of dogs, and also 
from its distant resemblance to the Porpoise. 'I'he 
Mackerel-shark is very comely in shape, and resem- 
bles the Mackerel in form. 
ATWOOD’S SHARK {Carcharodon atwoodi [Storer), 
Gill). — Called, also, the Man-eater. Ranges from 
Newfoundland to Florida. Storer described this as 
The Man-eater (Carcharia.s atwoodi), length thir- 
teen feet, and an exceedingly I'are species. 'I’he 
specimen referred to was captured in Pi'ovincetown 
Harbor, and in this instance furnishes an authentic 
example of the ferocity of this kind of Shark. 'I’he 
creature was followed by a harpooner, who drove his 
