Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-11-26
some GIANT FISHES.
Four Kinds of Sharks Which stand
in the Front Rank for Size.


in the Front Rank for Size.
At the mention of giant fishes many
young folk will at once think of the
sharks, among which. indeed. are
found the largest existing fishes. OF
The numerous kinds of sharks note
worthy OH account of their size there
are four In the front rank; these are
the sleeper shark. the man-eater
shark, the basking shark and the
whale shark.
The sleeper shark, whose scientific
name (SomniOsus microcephalus,
meaning sleepy mall.headed fish
fits II SO admirably, appears to have
developed its body at the expense OF
its brain. for 1t is a sluggish, stupid
| glutton. about six times as long as the
average man. Its home is I'm the Arc.
tic regions, but it sometimes makes
visits as far south us Massachusetts,
Oregon and the British Isles. 1t is
usually seen lying quietly at tile sur
face, apparently DOING. and is easily
approached by vessels: but sometimes,
when hungry. IL rouscs itself and goes
in search of its prey, fcrccly attack.
ing and injurlng whales. apparently
unconscious of the great difference it,
their respective sizes
One of the largest, and perhaps the
most formidable. of sharks Is the
"man.eater," or great blue shark
CCarcharodon carcharias). It roams
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 eases on
sharks simply swallowing people who
have fallen overheard. just us they
would swallow any other food. How
easy it would be- for Il man-catcr ia
devOur a person may he Judged from
the finding of n whole hundred.
pound sea lion IN the stomach of q
thirty foot shark on the California
coast. a certain man-cater. thirty.siN
and a half feet long. had jaws twenty
inches wide inside and teeth two and
half inches long.
The basking shark. known also as
the elephant shark and bones shark
CetOrhinus maxmusI Is IN inhabit
ant of the polar seas. but Is occasion.
ally observed rs far south as Virginia,
and California. and some years ago
was not rare on the English and New
England coasts. IL reaches Il maxi
mum lenglit of iifty feet. and Is ev,
cccdcd In size by only three or fou.
tnimals now alive. Provided with
small teeth. II feeds on fishes and
floating crustnccans, and j. not of 4
fcrociouS disposition. II Is dangerous
only because of Its great bulk. and
when attacked its powerful tail easily
demolishcs small boats. The baskinp
shark was formerly hunted on tho
coasts of Norway and Ireland for It's
oil. II 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 -cigh,
feet long were recorded The liver OF
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 nthincodon typicus). orig
finally discovered at the Cape Of Good
Hope. hut now known in japan
India. South America. Panama, Call
fornia and elsewhere. a specimen hay
ing recently been obtained In Florida
This shark is said 10 attain length
Of seventy feet. and IL known to eS.
coed fifty fpct.--St Nicholas.