The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-01-19
THESHARK A DRUDGE
A GOOD WORD FOR THIS scAvENGER
OF THE OCEAN.

OF THE OCEAN.
Naturalists Credit the Much Abused
Fish With a Special Sense Which
Guides 1t to the OGnl of the Seas on
Which 1t Feeds.
The shark is undoubtedly "dog with
bad name" He is called opprobrious-
ly the tiger of the seas" or the sail
or's foe" or any other scurrilous name
which happens to be handy. Much mud
is thrown ut him, and as he seldom finds
a defender most of it sticks. Hard lines
this! Because in reality this blue water
bogy is humble and useful public
servant, who performs uncomplainingly
the duties necessary, but hardly attract
ive) connected with the sanitation of the
sens. The shark is the common scavenger
and general undertaken Of the ocean. He
is not and for reasons connected with his
very moderate speed limit never can be
primarily n fish of prey.
Open any captured shark, and you will
find clear proof that this is so. A few
tangled bits of rope yarn, a battered
corned beef tin, a corked bottle contain
ing an insulting message to the finder
Thrown overheard by some nautical wag)
or sailors cap which has been lost in
galc-all tend TO show that the shark is
fish of businesslike habits, with a keen
eye to any chance windfalls which may
come in his way, but the more diGestible
contents of his stomach, consisting MAIN
ly of carrion of every kind, all give the
clearest olfactory evidence that the orig
inal owners of them were not alive and,
in fact, were very much dead when this
| marine sanitary inspector came along
and, condemning them as nuisances, re-
moved them into his own internal refuse
bin.
A large accumulation of carefully col
lectcd evidence on this point proves con-
clusiyely that there are as n matter Of
fact only two articles Of his ordinary
menu which the shark is able to capture
alive-viz, an occasional unwary sea fowl
which he may happen to surprise asleep
on the surface Of the water and the ugly,
octopuslike sQuid, whose limited powers
of locomotiop give a chance to our hum
CRY four knot prowler.
The shark, then. so far from being the
gore dyed pirate which the novelist
paints him, is a mere Woodworking. COM
monplace drudge and as such deserves, IL
not kindness. at any rate federation. But
this, much misunderstood fish that he is,
IL just what he never gets. The sailor
looks upon him as q hereditary foe,
against whom be has a death feud and
upon whose carcass when It sprawls and
flaps defeRseless on the deck any cruelty,
no matter how revolving. is lawful. And
Jack-untaught child of nature as he is
can be tiendishly cruel when he Is In the
-
will practice the most atroeious barbara
ties on the captured shark and no more
realize that he Is being cruel than child
does who pulls the legs off fly.
1t is curious thing and SO far as pres
cnt knowledge gees quite inexplicable
how a shark seems to have an unerring
perception Of the presence of carbon. By
virtue Of what sense does he know that
ct distance Of perhaps couple of miles
there Is food to be had for the picking
up? 1t can hardly be sight. and to say
that It is the sense Of smell presupposes
an olfactory apparatus of such marvellous
deIicacy that one good Whit from an nv
erage harness cask" would surely burst
the machinery up for good and all, and
yet our shark will bolt goodly lump Of
the gamiest salt pork without So much as
u Wluh. NO, u CuuuOt DC lib uOSc nulCA
leads him.
Now q theory has been put forward by
naturalists that the shark possesses in
common with the Andes condor II special
sense, or instinct, which is denied to
cleaner feeding animals. The naturalist
cannot explain this sense: confesses, in
fact. that he knows nothing about it, hut
he can give it n name. He calls it the
"carrion sense" and with that name,
which of course explains just nothing at
all. expects us to be satisfied. Well. as
we on our part cannot say that the natu-
ralist is wrong we will let it stand at
that.
"Shark-O" Where away" Dead
astern." Yes. there he goes. his triangu-
lar dorsal fin appearing above the water
100 yards or so away. He has found the
ofIal which we threw overheard ten min
utcs ago. and now. like Oliver Twist, he
comes to ask for more. Now he sweeps
up under the counter. and we can see his
1.-the body gliding through the water like
blue brown shadow. He looks disap-
pointingly small. but that is merely the
deceptive effect of the water. Once get
him on deck and he will appear large
enough and wicked enough to make us FL
most believe the worst libels of his calum
niators.
With IL splash vigorous enough to scare
n sleeping whale over goes the hook-half
n hundred weight of ironmongcry faStcn-
ed by u steel chain to Il rope cable, which
is capable OF standing tested strain OF
five TONS One does not fish for the tiger
of the sea" with silk lines and drawn gut
casts. The hook is baitcd with n four
pound lump OF fat, bilious looking salt
pork; or. better still, with piece of por-
poise blubber to which small square of
the tough hide is still attached-a bait
which no shark that ever swan could r"-
sist. Our quarry is, not unnaturnly,
somewhat frightened by the splash tmade
purposely. by the way. with the idea of
attracting his attention. with which this
delicate lure is thrown to him and Shecrs
off doubtfully. His hesitation. however.
does not last long. He remembers the
delightful favor of the hors d'Guvres
which he has already had and comes up
with II rush to enjoy the second course.
There is slight oily swirl. flash of
white from his belly as he turns over. two
double rows Of sharp. murderous looking
teeth come together with snap. and
bait. hook md foot or two Of rusty
chain are swallowed without n gulp.
Then, as the point Of the hook bites into
the cartilagin0us framework OF his head.
he becomes alarmed and tries to break
away. No use: that five ton cable will
hold him. Hand over fist he is hauled in
to the side. running moose Is dropped
down the line and over bis shoulders. and
dozen eager anglers haul him unceremo-
niously up on deck.-learson' Magazine.