Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-08-03
MISCEL L A n Y i.
The Shark and the Porpoise.

The shark ana Tue fOTpOlscs
A writer describing the Museum of the College
of Charleston, says:
With the exception of few contributed by
his personal friends, they were all disinterred
from their graves in the mari, and presented t"
the Museum by Professor +. S. Holmes. They
represent many species OF gigantic race, long
ago blotted from the pages of existence. And
Geology makes our heart glad, by assuring
us that they all died ignorant of the flavor OF
human flesh. Our purpose in calling attention
to these curious and instructive remains, Is not
to discourse upon them, but only to institute
comparison between them and the teeth that are
now ravenous for flesh in every sea. The White
Shark is the most dreaded of all species, on &C
count of his greater size, tleetness, strength and
ferocity. That backbone and jaw suspended
over the sea devil once belonged to White
Shark about twelve feet long. We need never
fear being devoured by one more than three feet
longer than this skeleton. We are aware they
are said to attain much greater size in tropical
waters; but many practical and obserVant na'u'
ralists for substantial reasons reject these reports
and believe that the really terrible monsters on
the coast of Africa are looked at through mag
nifying glasses. Well, we find by measurement,
that the teeth of this shark are only the half an
inch in length and that many of the fossil teeth
are fire and three f1urth inches long, ant aceaga
tsoo and and quarter pounds. Professor a.
gassiz demonstrates, by simple calculation,
that the Sharks that once used these teeth must
have been sixty feet long and he thinks it high
" probable that they greatly exceeded this amaz
ing length. These leaves in the great history,
not written by the pen OF man, bring before our
ewes those enormous creatures endowed with
mower to do mischief commensurate with their
fearful size. and these fathers beget feeling OF
contempt for their children that heretofore our
fear would not let US despse. Why the very
pursengs, OF this great race were larger and
stronger, and far more formidable, than those
that now yield many a crop of angular teeth.
and flourish all their days beneath a fiery sky.
Il is delightful to contemplate this degeneracy,
and we feel like showing their posterity these
huge enameled relics, and taunting them with
their ignominouS ioferiority.
It is generally and confidently believed that
the situation of their mouth renders it necessary
for all Sharks to turn on their sides before they
can seize their prey. Some members of the
family soualide are obviously subjected to this
Inconvenience, but Others are not, or at any rate
70 very slight extent. Those fellows with
large green google eyes on the outside of their
hattened truncated heads, that branch ont hori
zontally. before they make use of the mouth IN
der this hammer. head, must dip one end of this
singular structure in the water. That other
.pecies. that take their name from the shovel
like shape of the head, have likewise tn make
this lateral movement when they would silence
for n moment their obStreperous appetite, but
several other species most fleet and fierce. on
taking bite, scarcely turn, if they turn at all
We have seen dozen or more White and Tiger
Sharks feeding on o horse as ii t1oated towards
the sea, and although we watched them careful
" and long. we could not detect this inconve
nient movement Passing through the water
with wondrous velocity, they raised their head
when they got within a few feet of the drifting
carcass, exposing their terrible mouth and glar
ingeyes, and brought their trenchant teetf
with power, fearfuly augmented by the mo-
mentum, upon the unconscious animal.
The Shark surpasses every other fish in swift
ness. He can even distance the music loving
Dolphin of ancient mythology; and wag of
his tail will send him ahead of the sharpest clip
per while Wanting of her speed. But he is,
nevertheless, awkward and sluggish. and only
displays this amazing velocity while pursuing a
straight course. He cannot, like our friend, the
Porpoise, spin round top fashion, skim the crest
of the pillows, rise and sink with such astonish'
ing ouickness that to the bewildered eye he
seems TO be living wheel. His clumsiness is
apparent if he has to turn an angle, no matter
how obtuse ii may be; and if the object, whose
tainted breathings has reached his nose, be SO
small that he should fail to seize it, he must
needs describe circle in which the leviathan
might almost turn before he can renew the at.
tack. The friend to whom we are under obi
cation for much of the information embodied in
this paper, tells Us that he once saw a very
large Shark try several times to regale his dain
ty appetite on q string of putrid Whiting, before
it disappeared. After each unsuccessful essay
he would stop, then turn round slowly, and with
great labor, allowing so much time to elapse be-
ore he was ready for another attempt, that had
the fish been alive, they might have escaped in
spite of the palmetto which held them together
Ii is pleasant to present and dwell upon the few
disabilities of these tigers OF the sea; but after
we have deprived them of all the power with
which fear and fancy have endowed them
shown that although feet when rushing through
the water, their bright eyes fastened upon the
doomed victim, vet they turn sluggish'y and
slowly-covered their numerous inside rows OF
teeth with tough membrane, and reduced their
dimensions to natures measurenent-even alter
we have stripped them of all their fabulous pow.
er, there is yet enough left to inspire us with
horror, and his bloody disposition is still there
to ill US with hatred and loathing. lie is really
q terrible creature and though we cannot re-
ceive all the tales that have been related of his
cruel deeds, the bare mention of which makes
the heart sick, simply because we regard him
incapable of performing them, yet when his saw