The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-06-21

girth to have been at least 20 feet The
huge jawbOnes would encirele horse
with ease. but a glance at the bones
surrounding the ssOphagus causes
one 10 doubt the accuracy Of the story
of Jonah and the whale This fellow
had a hand. or hipper. If You insist
upon techniealities- that measured j.
feet in length. and any naturalist VIII
tel you that it had propelling power
equal 70 the screw OF d 5o-ton steam
launch.
Nobody ever wrote any pretty storles
about a shark, and there Is nothing To-
mantle about the specimens that are
on exhibition in the Fisheries building.
Everybody knows that sharks are
Is dangerous 10 handle as they
are homely in appearance. Fish
ermen never preserve them when
by any chance they capture even
a small specimen. and the United
States fish commissioner made no effort
10 secure a live specimen for the ex-
hibit for the reason that they are
short lived in confinement. be-
sides being too dangerous TO handle
and care for where there are crowds
There are, however, some splendid
stuffed specimens Of the man-eating
shark from southern waters and sew
eral Of the type found in the waters of
the New England coast These are SO
mounted that their terrible teeth are
exposed 70 view. and II does not re
quire q very great stretch of imagiua-
ton 10 believe that ali the stories that
have been told Of the ferocity and de-
structiveness Of these monsters are
quite true just as at the circus, where
visitors stand longest before the core
of the king Of the forests. 50 the
crowd fingers with morbid curiosity
before these etigies Of the terror of
the seas The double rows OF glistcn-
ing. cruel teeth. the long sinuous body
with powerful tail and the huge dorsal
En- that. protruding from the water.
always gives warning Of the presence
OF this dread monster. have a peculiar
fascination for the visitors who spccu-
late on possibilities Of an encounter
with one cf these creatures IL their
native element
Besides all the curious forms Of fishes
ar r1anv specimens that the visitor
VIII be tempted TO believe belong 20
the order OF land animals so unlike ali
precCnceived ideas Of water life ere
they. There IS t~e m2natee. which.
though . fish. suclles its yoIng and is
said 20 be the foundation FOR all tories
OF Tnermai's. The specimen At Jack
son p2rE Is very rare and Is too curiols
II appearance 10 be adequately de-
scribed. Then there Is the sworslfish.
with its long weapon. hard and pol
ished IS q genuine sword This follow
j. . terror to the whale and the sharl.
- wen. and many strange and truth
ful stories have been told of the dam
age these fish have wrought TO fisher
mems boats. From New South Wales
nave been sent strange animals that
look like snakes. covered with scales
and long spine-cOrcrcd tails. But they
.re fish with names that noonc save an
Australian naturalist could remember.
They are not petty. but the crowd
seems TO enjoy loosing At them and
making remarks about their unpleasant
appearance. In the same case with
acyeral specimens Of the sea cat Is the
head of walrus, with the face and
eyes OF doc and from out the crop OF
api-T whislzers droop the two lorr
tuzi-s for which the animal l. ehiof-
hunted Pho walrus. ike the seal. isa
harmless booking creature. bat has the
Misfortune to be valuable 70 man and
lis race is threatened with extinction.
Tie zpccimcns of shcllGsh are fnt-r-
cs.i-g chiefly for their size. There
are holsters there that must have been
hundreds Of wears old Il the story D..
tr-c that thc lobster never ceases -
.sroU. Hideous fellows they are. with
shcir rre-t claws that seem st-o--
clough TO read II pieces q man. The
ling crabs. IN thcir coats Of mail. with
their long. iile-iilse tails waving about
IN the water remind one OF the strange
marine monsters that jules Verne dis
covered IN his Leagues Undcr the
sea Then there are the octopods
AID the squids, with their long. leath-
e-T arms moving ccasclcssIy ia search
Of prey. Did you ever read Victor
HnEoa ''Toilcrs OF the Sea?~ The ex-
hibit % oetopoAs win remind you foroi.
u of STAT terrifying but interesting
seeae "A the Frenchman's book. The
long Grus covered with suckers and
she parrot-lise beak are terrible in
tAeir Euggcstiveness. One Of the most
curious specimens Is 4 rara avis 10 nat
uraiiats themselves II comes from
,nlia, and was captured in the