372 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

dead. This circumstance, with his great strength, is the cause
of the name which has been given him by the fishermen here,
as they have never been able to succeed in taking one of them,
and were firmly of opinion it was impossible to do so.

‘* On measurement, it was found to be in length and breadth
much the same, about fifteen feet, and in depth from three to
four feet. It had the appearance of having no head, as there
was no prominence at its mouth.; on the contrary, its exterior
margin formed, as it were, the segment of a circle, with its arc
towards the animal’s body, and opening into a large cavity of
about two feet and a half in width, without teeth, into which a
man went with so much ease, that I do not exaggerate when.
I say, that another might have done so at the same time. On
each side of the mouth projected a mass of cartilaginous sub-
stance like horns, about a foot and a half long, and capable of
meeting before the mouth. These feelers moved about a great
deal in swimming, and. are probably of use in feeding. On
looking on this animal as it lay on the ground with its back
upwards, it might be said to be nearly equal in dimensions on
every side, with the exception of the two lateral extremities,
extending to a point about four feet from the body, and a tail
about five feet long, four and a half inches diameter at the
root, and tapering to a point. Above the root of the tail was
the dorsal fin, and on each side of it a flat and flabby substance
close to the body, of the appearance of fins. There were no
other distinct fins, and its sole propelling power seemed to be
its two lateral extremities, which became very flat and thin
towards the point. As it shows these much in swimming, it
gives a spectator an extraordinary idea of its size, as, to him
imperfectly seen, the conclusion naturally is, if the breadth is
so great, how much greater must the length be. This animal
was a female, and was viviparous. On opening it, a young
one, about twenty pounds weight, was taken out, perfectly
formed, and which had been preserved. Wishing to know
what it fed upon, I saw the stomach opened, which was round,