A Natural History for Young People: Our Animal Friends in Their Native Homes: including mammals, birds and fishesHumphreys, Phebe Westcott
History
A Natural History for Young People: Our Animal Friends in Their Native Homes: including mammals, birds and fishes
Humphreys, Phebe Westcott
Natural history -- Juvenile literature
The bold robber has seen the diver and comes at him. If he loses his
coolness, he will be the spoil of the greedy Shark. He draws his dagger,
which he carries with him for such an event. Dexterously he avoids the
animal and stabs him deep with the dagger. A great stream of blood
stains the water. In his death struggles the mighty animal threshes the
water with his great fins and seeks safety in flight. Then another Shark
approaches, and again must the diver fight a life and death battle. He
is successful in making this enemy also incapable of fighting; then
completely exhausted, he gives the signal to be drawn up. But the diver
is not always fortunate enough to overcome the horrible animals. He is
sometimes terribly torn by the daring Man-eaters.
The back and sides of the Shark are of an ashy brown; beneath it is
faded white. The head is flat, and terminates in a nose slightly
rounded. Its terrible mouth is in the form of a semi-circle, and of
enormous size; the contour of the upper jaw of a Shark of ten yards
length being about two yards wide, and its throat being in proportion to
this monstrous opening.
When the throat of the Fish is open we see beyond the lips (which are
straight and of the consistency of leather) certain plates of teeth,
which are triangular and white as ivory. If the Shark is an adult it has
in the upper as in the lower jaw six rows of these murderous arms, an
arsenal ready to tear and rend its victim. These teeth take different
motions according to the will of the animal; and obedient to the muscles
round their base, by means of which it can erect or retract its various
rows of teeth, it can even erect a portion of any row, while the others
remain at rest in their bed. Thus this far-seeing tyrant of the ocean
knows how to measure the number and power of the arms necessary to
destroy its prey. For the destruction of the weak and defenceless, one
row of teeth suffices; for the more formidable adversary it has a whole
arsenal at command.
The eyes of the Shark are small, and nearly round; its scent is very
subtle; its fins are strong and rough. The tail is possessed of immense
power, and is capable of breaking the limb of a robust Man by a single
stroke.
He seeks eagerly for human flesh, and haunts the neighborhood where it
hopes to find the precious morsel. He follows the ship in which his
instinct tells him it is to be found, and makes extraordinary efforts to
reach it. He has been known to leap into a boat in order to seize the
frightened fishermen; he throws himself upon the ship, cleaving the
waves at full speed to snap up some unhappy sailor who has shown himself
beyond the bulwarks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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