Norwich bulletin., 1920-06-01
necessary shoes for the tests.

necessary shoes Tor the tests
 Sharks are regarded as the most rapacious. bloodthirsty and cruel Of all the inhabitants of the sea, all of the sea, all of the known species. with four exceptions, being flesh-eating. They are long and cylindrical, the body terminating in 2 sharp snout in front and a long ard flattened tail behind. The mouth is placed crosswise and usually is on the lower surface of the head, some distance behind the tip of the snout. Almost all sharks are mar inc, though many occasionally follow their prey into the mouths of rivers. Their teeth are arranged in formidable triangular tiers, the first or outer row alone being used while the rest are turned back out of the way. When those of the first row are lost. those of the next row take their place. "The fins, with their abundant car ! tilage, form the basis of the supply of gelatine in China
 The flyers are taken for the oil they contain. They are placed in water and cooked either by steam or by fire. and then the o@l is skinned off. In for mer times they wers sun n-dried'-plsc- ed in water and allowed to stand in the sun for several days. The quality pro- duced by this method (which is still pursued in Labrador and Newfound- 1 land) is much better than that obtain ed by the more modern methods, but 1 the difference in quantity is consider able Quantity and quality vary con- siderably with the season. The oil is of value in dressing leather, soap -mak- | ing, fish glue, paints. and for medicinal purposes. The yield varies from less than a pint in some of the smaller sharks, to about I25 gallons in the larger sizes.
 At one time large quantities of the hides, cleaned but not tanned, were used for polishing wood, ivory, and metal With improvements in method:
 of preparation of sandpaper and emery
 these have largely replaced anima
 hides. Small quantities of certain
 classes of skin are still in demand among cabinetmakers, and have othel
 special uses, as in the manufacture o
 optical fittings. Peculiar markings
 such as transverse bands or elongated
 spots, and the character of the small , close set, variously sculptured lime like particles which cover the skin
 have adapted some to uses for swort
 grips. card cases, jewel boxes and othe novelties. The demand for sword grip
 is at present unusually large and diff ficult to supply with satisfactory ma
 terial.
 | W lI0ln the idSI year AIHeflCdH tan
 ners have experimented in the produc ton of feathers from these hides wit
 excellent results, and there now exist demand for large quantities of raN materials. In tensile strength, .leath
 CTS tested compare favorably wit
 those made from mammal hides, an
 the market for these products appear |. assured. Special seines, 500 feet lon I and IS feet deep, with foCT-inch mes
 of extra heavy twine, are constructe
 to capture these fish. One crew. fish
 ing off the southern coast, has cap V tured 200 sharks in a day. A hide wi : produce from 10 to 40 square feet ( = leather suitable for shoes. Five hun S dred skins a week are said to be han : dled at one tannery, the output (
 which is to be greatly increased dur ). ing the next year.
 y The meat of the shark is white an l edible, resembling halibut. It is car d ned, and dried for shipment to the mal kets."