The BASKING SHARK, &Nem maxima, belongs to the family lamnichs, having two dorsal fins, spout-holes, and no nictitating membrane. The snout of the shark is short and blunt; the teeth are small, numerous, conical, and curved backward. The skin is much-rougher than in the white shark and blue shark. This species attains a great size, being sometimes 36 ft. long, but it is not so thick in proportion as the white shark. 'It is of a blackish-brown color, glossed with blue. It does not exhibit a fero cious character, and is supposed to feed on meduste, crustaceans, and the like. It is often seen swimming slowly with its dorsal fin above the surface of the water, whence it has obtained the name of Tt permits-itself to be quite closely approached by a• boat, hut on being struck with a harpoon it plunges suddenly down, and. swims off with great rapidity, so that its capture is attended with danger. It is not uncommon on the northern and western coasts of Britain.
The GREF2(LAND Seyinnns bOrCeItiq, is of the family sconnida. It Las large spout-holes, two dorsal tins, no anal fin, and no nictitating membrane. It inhabits the northern seas, and is rarely seen so far south as even the northern Scottish islands, It attains a length of 14 feet or more, is thick, and tapers suddenly at the tail; the fins very small; the teeth in both jaws so arranged as to diverge from a center. It bites and
annoys whales, but feeds also on small fishes and crustaceens. When a whale has lie( II killed, a shark will often come even whilst men arc occupied in cutting off the blebber, and scoop out one great lump after another, and will return to its repast after having been severely wounded.
The rough skin of sharks is employed by joiners for polishing fine-grained wood, cud for covering the hilts of swords to make them firmer in the grasp. The flesh is com re, but is sometimes eaten. The fins abound in gelatine, and are much used by the Meese for making a rich gelatinous soup. Dried sharks' fins are a considerable article cf. , import into China. The liver yields a large quantity of oil, which is now also, in some parts of the world, an article of commerce. For the sake of this oil a shark fishery is prosecuted on the coast of Ceylon.
1+os4/ diterfq make their first appearance in the oolitic rocks, from which eight species have been described. They become more numerous in the cretaceous deposits, in which no less than 60 species have been found. In the tertiary strata, their remains are still more abundant. But as the determination of fossil species depends entirely on the teeth, which, with the exception of the spines and vertelam, are the only portions preserved, it is probable that the species and generic are too greatly multiplied.