Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-08-12
Esosa the .Suvannoh Georgian.

Z fTO0l the e)uVUHHUH tOtVt b 49,
We are indebted tor the following yes
cr;ptpn Of The large fish recently taken
near wilniDgton Island, to medical gem
,lemap OF this city, who will please ac-
cent our thanks for the readiness Win
which be granted our request. We are
certain TO the naturalist aad the curious u
will be highly acceptable
VAMPIRE OF THE OCEAN.
An individual of that singular species OF
I6sh. called by the inhabitants OF Inc oea
Islands of Georgia, Devil Fish. and pro-
hably the Vampire OF DR.. Mitchell. was
taken on the 18th inst. in the river which
hathes the southern shores OF Wilmington
lsla,d. ten miles from Savannah. He was
harpooned by Mr. C. Jones, OF Whining
ton. and was subsequently dragged on shore
and shot. The day afterhe was towed up
10 ThunderboIt, for the purpose OF exbio'-
ton. but Unfortunately IN This passage, he
was proved upon by the sharks, who des'
troyed the tail and part OF the body. we
took the dimensions OF what renamed,
which were as foIows:-
Breadth between the ends of the late.
| raj fins, ~ ieet
| Length exclusive of the part ate off,
| Length of lateral fins or wings
Length of anterior fms or feeiers I'm.
[ To those who have never seen the Devil
Fish, general description OF his form may
| not be unacceptable.
The Devil Fish is fiat, and approach.
es in his general appearance, the form OF
the Stingery, which is known to abound
in our salt water rivers. The head is
broad, fat and Of crescentic torn, at its
anterior part. The opening OF the mouth
is Two feet wide, and lis cavities very ca
pacious. The jaws have no teeth i'm
planted in them, The anterior part oil the
lower Jaw corresponding 10 the lips, has
upon the skin which covers il, a number
of short and stiff bistles. On each side
and little anterior to the mouth, are The
nosirils, which are small in proportion 10
the size oftb fish. The eyes are situated
at the lateral parts Of the besd--they are
oval, project considerably, aud are cover,
ed with thick, scIerotic coat. Behind
the eyes. and at the back part OF the head,
are two assures, which resemble by their
situation. the cavities OF the organ OF hear
| ing. Projecting from the anterior and la
J teral parts OF the head, between ibe eyes
and The nostrlls, are two remarkable aP>
| pendages, which IN the common Language
of the country, are called ieeIeTs, but
which may be more correctly named an.
terror fms. They commence thick and
! broad al their base, and as they extend
! forwards, become gradually thinner
! Their edges present superiority and inte-
riorIy, the upper being much Inc thiCkest;
: the sides are inches broad. They were
dissected and found to consist OF a number
Of cartilsgnous bodies placed Longitude.
J nally, Externally TO these caltilsges and
between them, are an equal number vi
muscles, destined 10 move tbem.
1t Is said by those who have seen this
! isL alive, that lie has the power OF CuiilnS
up this organ. From the position, form
and great power OF motion, which ii pos
sesses, IT is probably that lis use is tor al
tack and defence, and that it may also
! impel into the mouth, the small fish upon
, whlch he subsisls The solid structure of
the head, consists chiefly OF cartilage, very
| little bone entering into Its composition
| The cavity OF the Uranium, IS large and
! contains brain, approaching 10 torn aud
size that oil the human subject Interior
| ly and behind the lower Jaw, are situated
| five openings Oh each side, which commu'
nicale With the gills, The structure OF
F.. The gllis is beautiful, but too complicated
/ for description. On each side Of the boz
dy are the lateral inns, winch have given
our FISH the appelIalion OF Vampire, from
their ancied resemblance 10 the wings OF
tina, species of bal. They commence
broad, aud gradually taper to All obluse
! point. TIER general term is triangular,
and they extend out horizontally five
ieet The structure of these Fms We're
! not examined; but they are doubtless torm-
ed like the anterior fms, Of cartilage and
muscle. They are convex above and Hat
! below. Their pUsterior edge terminates
upon the sides of the abdomen, winch
| commencing BROAD, gradually contracts as
il proceeds back ards, as Tar as the TAIL
which in our hsh was three feet long aud
ended 10 horny and blunt ploluberance.
| The sk,E OF the superior part IS black
! that underneath whte-lt is 10 the eye
| smooth, but 10 the feeling very rough, ow-
! ing to number OF m:sule tony tuberceS.
| There are no scales.
! The presence of this fish in our waters
| is source of great terror 10 the fisher
! men, who have sometimes their anchors
! taken of or their boats carried with great
velocity tor miles, or upset anu sunk
Thi: is performed by means of the anlerI.
or fins. A gentleman, On fishing excur-
sion, in small canoe. bad his boat thus
upset.-He saved himself by swimming;
but negro who was with him. was drown.
| ed. The following anecdoe is related ut
a devil fish, who, ia exhibiting an extreme