Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-01-13

Four Kinds Of Sharks Which stard
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 mum
erous kinds of sharks noteworthy OF
account of their size there are four il
the front rank; these are the sleeper
shark, the man-eater shark, the bask
Ing shark and the whale shark.
The sleeper-shark. whose scientific
name (Somniosus microcephalus
meaning sleepy smali-headed fish, fits
It SO admirably, appears to have de
veloped its body at the expense of its
brain, for it is sluggish, stupid glut
ton, about six times as long as the
average man. Its home is in the
Arctic regions, but it sometimes
makes visits as far south as Massachu
sets, Oregon and the British Isles. II
Is usually seen lying quietly at the
surface, apparently doing, and is cas-
lily approached by vessels: but some
times, when hungry, it rouses itself
and goes in search of it's ptey, fiercely
attacking and injuring whales, appar
emily unconscious of the great differ
ence in their respectivel sizes.
One of the largest, and perhaps the
most formidable, of sharks is the
man-eater," or great blue shark
'tCharcharodon carcharias). 1t roams
through all temperate and tropical
seas, and is everywhere dreaded. Its
maximum length is forty feet ana its
teeth are three inches long. While
there are few authentic records oil
sharks attacking human beings, there
have unavoidably been many cases o.
sharks simply swallowing people who
have fallen overheard, just as they
would swallow any other food. How
easy it would be for a man-eater tt
devour person, may be judged from
the finding of a whole hundred-pount
sea lion in the stomach of a 30-foot
shark on the California coast. A
certain man-eater, SO IL feet long, hai
jaws 20 inches wide inside and teeth
two and half inches long.
The basking-shark, known also as
the elephant shark and bone-sharl
(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 age
was not rare on the English and New
England coasts. 1t reaches a max
imum length of so feet, and is exceed
ed in size by only three or four ami
mails now alive. Provided with small
teeth, it feeds on fishes and floating
crustaceans, and is not of ferociou:
disposition, it is dangerous only be
cause of its great bulk, and when at
tackled powerful tail easily demolish
es small boats. The basking-shark wa:
formerly hunted on the coasts of Nor
way and Ireland for it's oil. 1t was
also sought on the shores of Massachu
sets in the early part of the las
century, and many of these shark.
from rs to 38 feet long we're recorded
The liver of a large specimen some
times yielded twelve barrels of oil.
The largest of all fishes, the larges
of all cold-blooded animals, and the
largest of all existing animals, except
few kinds of whales, is the whale
shark (Rhineodon typicus), originally
discovered at the Cape of Good Hope
but now known in Japan, India, Soutl
America, Panama. California and else
where, specimen having recently
been obtained in Florida. This sharl
is said to attain length of rs feet
and is known to exceed so feet.-Fron
Nature and Science, in St Nicholas.