The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1904-12-31
soME aIANT FIstlla
Four Kinda OF Sharks which 49,
in the Front Rank for eigo ~

Four Kinds OF Sharks Which a4...s
In the Front Rank for size.
At the mention of giant tishes MANY
young folk will at once think 81 tha
sharks, among which, indeed. ara
found the largest existing Ashes a.
the numerous kinds of sharks note.
worthy on account of their size thara
are four in the front rank; these arc
the sleeper shark, the nan-eatar
shark, the basking shark and ma
whale shark.
The sleeper shark, whose scientific
name (Somniosus microcephalna
meaning sleepy smaIl-headed fsbi
fits it so admirably, appears to hava
developed its body at the expense o.
its brain, for 1t is sluggish, stunid
giutton, about six times as long ais tho
average man. It's home is in the 40.
tic regions, but it sometimes makas
visits as far south as Massachusetts
Oregon and the British Isles, It Il
usually seen lying quietly at the sur.
face, apparently doing, and lie easily
approached by vessels; but sometimes
when hungry, it rouses itself and goea
in search of Its prey, fiercely attack
ing and injuring whales, apparently
unconscious of the great difference in
their respective sizes.
One Of the largest, and perhaps the
most formidable, of sharks ia the
''man-eater," or great blue shark
(Carcharodon carcharias). 1t roama
through all temperate and tropical
seas, and is everywhere dreaded, Its
maximum length is forty feet and it's
teeth are three inches long. While
there are few authentic records Of
sharks attacking human beings, there
have undoubtedly been many cases OF
sharks simply swallowing people who
have fallen overheard, just as they
would swallow any other food. How
easy 1t would be for a man-eater to
devour a person may be judged from
the finding Of a whole hundred
pound sea lion in the stomach of a
th1rtyfoot shark on the California
coast. A certain man-eater, thirty-six
and half feet long, had jaws twenty
inches wide inside and teeth two and
a half inches long.
The baskingshark, known also as
the elephant shark and bone-shark
| (Cetorhinus maximus) Is an inhabit-
ant of the polar seas, but is occasion
ally observed as far south as Virginia
and California, and some years ago
was not rare on the English and New
England coasts. 1t reaches a maxi
mum lenght of fifty feet and is ex-
ceeded in size by only three or four
animals now alive. Provided with
small teeth, it feeds on fishes and
floating crustaceans, and is not Of a
ferocinus disposition. 1t is dangerous
only because of it's great bulk, and
when attacked it's powerful tail easily
demolishes small boats. The basking
shark was formerly hunted on the
coasts of Norway and Ireland for its
oil. 1t was also sought on the shores
of Massachusetts in the early part Of
the last century, and many of these
sharks from twenty-five to thirty eight
feet long were recorded. The liver of
a large specimen sometimes yielded
twelve barrels of Oil.
The largest of all fishes, the largest
OF all cold-blooded animals, and the
largest Of all existing whales, is tho
whale shark (Rhlneodon typicus), orig
inally discovered at the Cape Of Good
Hope, but now" known in Japan,
India, South America, Panama, Call
fornia and elsewhere, a specimen hav-
ing recently been obtained in Florida.
This shark is said to attain a length
Of seventy feet, and is known to ex-
coed fifty feet.--St Nicholas.