Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-10-25
The Makeup of a shark.

A few weeks ago fine specimen OF Q
shark was cast ashore at Willmore City,
Ia an unvitalized condition, having been
pierced through the body by sword
fish, so that his entrails were let out,
The creature was young, with SHARP
barbed teeth, and was seven and q
half feet long. weighed 400 pounds, and
looked like formidable fish, with ribs
of steel and jaw bones Of terrible power.
An account OF the discovery of the fish
appeared in the HERALD at the date Of
finding. Messrs. w. ". and s. A.
Widney took possession of the carcass,
and buried it in the Sind to await iti
decay and deodorization. On Monday
of this week they exhumed the body,
which was still Extensively odorous, and
boiled il long and vigorously, to secure
the skeleton in all its completeness. But
when the flesh fell of the bones a
strange sight presented itself. The sup.
posed sjaw bones and ribs Of steel and
various bones that constitute the trunk
of a ravenous monster of the deep, dis
solved like the baseless fabric Of a
vision, and left no trace behind, except
two pounds of little spinal column
bones. All the rest of the carcasss con
sisted Of carthage, blubbsr and muscle,
and had been changed into coarse kind
Of fish glue.
This strange revelation Of the ccmpo-
sition Of a shark was surprise to all
who saw the result. All that was left
in solid condition were the teeth in
the shape of isosceles triapgles with
keenly pointed barbs on the edges, and
the little joints of the backbone, which
varied in size from half inch in diane
ter at the head, to an inch in the mid.
die of the body, and then decreasing to
a agarter Of an inch at the tail. These
little bones are very curious. They arc
about three-eighths of an inch in thick
ncS5 Win SHtaii holo IA ehV otheci
through which the spinal chord passed
The outer edge Of these bones are beau
tifully mortised, like the hub of car
riage wheel, and from these little morti
ces cartilages sprang out in all direc
tions, like the spokes from the hub Of Q
wheel. Not bone was TO be found il
the head, not even the sign of a jaw
bone; only this little curious vertebra
This structure accounts for the extrem,
mobility and power OF the shark. 1t hai
no Jaws to break and no ribs 10 b,
crushed, but in place Of the usual bony
framework it has the strongest and mos
flexible of cartilages, which give th'
creature such tremendous strength ant
such charmed life. The sword-6sh il
its deadly enemy and knows the sof
place in the body of the shark. and 81
pierces it in the belly with its terrible
sword.
The shark which Widney Broth-
ers have cooked and servet
up, when found, had larg'
baracouta fish about three fee
long, half swallowed and the balance il
its mouth. Owing to the cartilaginou
structure of the mouth of the shark i
is enabled to distend that and the throat
and swallow large animals without trou
Bile. 1t appears that the swordfish saw
the shark catch the baracouta, and il
revenge thrust him through with hi
sword before he had finised his dinner
Of FISH. The bones are little odorous
but they viii be deodorized and placed
on exhibition in day or two. 1t il
likely that the cartilage of sharks may
be used for making glue, while all tho
bones Of these great creatures can b
carried in small pocket OF sucl
stuff are sharks.