The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-06-23


known to drive them of.
The shark tribe are remarkably reten
tive Of life, aud instances are related which
would be almost beyond belief if moi
vouched for by numbers Of witnesses
For instance, an individual was caught
with line; its liver was cut out, and the
bowels left hanging from the body, il
which state the sailors, as an object of alb
horrence, threw it into the sea. But il
continued near the boat; and not long
aiterward it pursued and attempted tC
devour a mackerel that had escaped from
the net. In another instance, shark wat
thrown overheard after the head had beer
severed from the body; after which, for q
couple of hours, the body continued to use
the efforts Of swimming in various direc
tions--to employ the conjecture of boy
among the crew--as If it were looking fol
its head. Next, we have the thrasher
which has obtained the name of fox-shark
because of the shape Of its tail. The title
Of thrasher, however, is most appropriate
from its habit of lashing the sea with ii
tail, by which it has been known TO put tC
flight herd of sportive dolphins, aud ever
to iill the whale with terror. The Dor.
beagle is another of the shark tribe, and is
n common visitor on the weastern coasts in
summer. Then follows that too plentiful
and rapacious fish, the topper, known like.
wise as the white-hound, penny-dog, OF
rniller-dog. However, as it swims deep,
it does not do 50 much injury to the fish.
ermens nets as some of its congeners.
Then we have the smooth-hound, or ray.
mouthed dog, or skate -toothed shark, which
are presumed to come from considerable
distances, from the kind Of hooks some.
times found in them, which resemble those
used on the coast Of Spain. They feed
upon erustaceous animals, but will take a
bait The picked-dog, spur-dog, or bone
dog, but commonly known as the dog-fsh,
is the smallest, but unquestionably the
most numerous OF the shark tribe. 1t
frequents our coasts all the year round,
and even in the severest weather. Then
there are the spinous shark, and Greenland
shark, which will not be driven away from
feeding upon the blubber of stranded,
half-immersed whale, although pierced with
spears, but come again to the oleaginous
banquet while spark Of life exists. The
baskingshark also occasionally casts up on
our coasts. 1t is Of large size, is capa-
bic Of breaking a six-inch hawser, and is
only taken with considerable difficulty.
Then We have the rashleigh shark, the
broad headed gazer, and the hammer-head
or balance-fish, which may be said to com
plete the list of these occasional unwelcome
visitors to our shores.
And now that we have said so much
that is prejudicial to the S9,mlido or
shark community let US see what we have
as a set-otf in their favor As food for
man, the topper is found for sale in the
markets at Rome; and in Paris, that city
Of gastrOnomy, the small kinds Of shark
when divested of their tantalizing titles,
are to be detected entrees, in the nlenue Of
many of the most distinguished families.
For some years, the dog-fsh has afforded
lucrative employment during the whole of
the summer TO the fishermen from the
Maze TO the cape. IL is mostly, however,
smoked, and in this way is considered
rather a delicacy. 1t is also dried and
split as stock-ish for consumption in the
country, as well as for export TO Sweden,
where it is greatly appreciated. 1t is like
wise elsewhere a common article Of food /,
amid the choice Of variety Of other fish,
especially in the west of England, and in
deed, is valued by some who are far above
the necessity of chasing it with their or
dinary articles of subsistence. 1t is used
both fresh and salted, but, when eaten
fresh, it is skinned before being cooked.
Lacipede, who speaks slightly Of its flesh,
informs us that, in the north of Europe,
the eggs which are about the size Of a
small orange, and consist solely of a pale
colored yoke, are in high esteem. If
prejudice could be got over, there is no
doubt they would form an agreeable as we'll
as a nourishable article of food, as a sub
stitute for other eggs in our domestic
economy.
The shark fishery is carried on in many
parts of the Indian Ocean, and on the
eastern coast of Africa, and recently it
has been pursued on the coast of Norway.
About Kurraches, in India, as many as
40, 900 sharks are takenin the year. The
back-hns are much esteemed as a food
delicacy in China, from 1000 TO 0,000
of these being shipped to that empire an
nually from Bombay. In Norway and
Iceland the inhabitants make indiscrimi-
nate use Of every species captured, hang
ing up the carcasses for whole year, like
hams, that the flesh may become mellow.
The liver, however, appears to be strictly
prohibited everywhere, as dangerous ar
ticle Of food.
Mr. N. Brabazon, in his FISHERIES of
ireland" in allusion TO the large shoals of
sharks which pass annually along the west
coast, on their way from the southern to
the northern seas, speaks particularly of
the basking-shark;-"These fish are worth
from e35 to ESQ each; and when so many
as FIVE hundred have been killed in one
season, this class of fishing should be well
attended to for the season it lasts, il the
weather is favorable to it, especially as it
is at time when other fish are out of
season. The fishermen have a superstition
that the fish will leave the coast if the
bodies of those caught were brought to the
shore" Mr.. p, L. Simmons, in his
Waste Products and Undeveloped Sub
stances" gives almost incredible statistics
of the vast amount Of the fish refuse which
is either left TO rot on the coasts and pu-
trefy the air, or thrown back into the sea
unutilized, both on our own and on foreign
shores and he significantly points to its
value as manure not far inferior to guano,
of which this country alone requires 200.
900 tons a year, and pays upwards Of
f22, 100000. Would il not, therefore,
be wise for enterprise and capital to ,agin
to turn more attention to the manufacture
Of fish guano, Of which the debris of the
North American fisheries, and those of
the North Sea, would furnish ample mate.
terial p Chambers Journal.
A Russian writer SAYS .-aSince 177D