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contemptible as that affectation of wisdom which some display, by universal incredulity.*

Upon the whole, a shark, when living, is a very formidable animal; and, when dead, is of very little value. The flesh is hardly digestible by any but the Negroes, who are fond of it to distraction; the liver affords three or four quarts of oil; some imaginary virtues have been ascribed to the brain; and its skin is, by great labour, polished into that substance called shagreen. Mr. Pennant is of opinion, that the female is larger than the male in all this tribe; which would, if confirmed by experience, make a striking agreement between them and birds of prey. It were to be wished that succeeding historians would examine into this observation, which is offered only as a conjecture!

CHAP. III.

Of Cartilaginous Flat-fish, or the Ray Kind.

THE same rapacity which impels the shark along

the surface of the water, actuates the flat fish at the bottom. Less active and less formidable, they creep in security along the bottom, seize every thing that comes in their way; neither the hardest

[* Sharks, as well as the Ray tribe, bring forth their young alive, more than one at a time, and each enclosed in a square horny case, terminated at the four corners by slender filaments. After being in the water some time, these natural pouches open at one end, and the young fish escapes from his confinement.

shells nor the sharpest spines give protection to the animals that bear them: their insatiable hunger is such, that they devour all; and the force of their stomach is so great, that it easily digests them.

The whole of this kind resemble each other very strongly in their figure; nor is it easy without experience to distinguish one from another. The stranger to this dangerous tribe may imagine he is only handling a skate, when he is instantly struck numb by the torpedo; he may suppose he has caught a thornback, till he is stung by the fire-flare. It will be proper, therefore, after describing the general figure of these animals, to mark their differences.

All fish of the ray kind are broad, cartilaginous, swimming flat on the water, and having spines on different parts of their body, or at the tail. They all have their eyes and mouth placed quite under the body, with apertures for breathing either about or near them. They all have teeth, or a rough bone, which answers the same purpose. Their bowels are very wide towards the mouth, and go on diminishing to the tail. The tail is very differently shaped from that of other fishes; and at first sight more resembling that of a quadruped, being narrow, and ending either in a bunch or a point. But what

These receptacles are, in the Shark, of a pellucid horn-colour, terminated at the corners by very long slender filaments, which are generally found twisted round coral, sea-weeds, and other substances, to prevent their being driven on shore before the young are excluded: those of the Ray tribe are black, with the filaments hardly longer than the case, and are frequently cast on our shores in great abundance.]

they are chiefly distinguished by, is their spines or prickles, which the different spécies have on dif ferent parts of their body. Some are armed with spines both above and below; others have them on the upper part only; some have their spines at the tail; some have three rows of them, and others but one. These prickles in some are comparatively soft and feeble; those of others, strong and piercing. The smallest of these spines are usually inclining towards the tail; the larger towards the head.

It is by the spines that these animals are distinguished from each other. The skate has the middle of the back rough, and a single row of spines on the tail. The sharp-nosed ray has ten spines, that are situated towards the middle of the back. The rough ray has its spines spread indiscriminately over the whole back. The thornback has its spines disposed in three rows upon the back. The fireflare has but one spine, but that indeed a terrible one. This dangerous weapon is placed on the tail, about four inches from the body, and is not less than five inches long. It is of a flinty hardness, the sides thin, sharp pointed, and closely and sharply bearded the whole way. The last of this tribe that I shall mention is the torpedo; and this animal has no spines that can wound; but in the place of them it is possessed of one of the most potent and extraordinary faculties in nature.

Such are the principal differences that may enable us to distinguish animals, some of which are of very great use to mankind, from others that are: terrible and noxious. With respect to their uses, indeed, as we shall soon see, they differ much; but

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