MONTHLY M A GAZINE; OR, BRITISH REGISTER; 3/ncluding KISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATI- | ACCOUNT OF ALL NEW PATENTS. LIST OF NEW BOOKS AND IMPOR- TATIONS. REGISTER OF DISEASES IN LONDON. RETROSPECT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, LIST OF BANKRUPTCIES AND DI. VIDENDS DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES CLASSED AND ARRANGED IN THE GEOGRA. PHICAL ORDER OF THE COUN- TIES. CAL MEMOIRS, &c. MERCE, &c. REPORT OF AGRICULTURE, &c. REPORT OF THE WEATHER. London: By whom Communications (Poft-paid) are thankfully received. (Price Twelve Shillings half-bound.) Bduled by J. Adland, Duke-street, West-Smithfield. MONTHLY MAGAZINE. No. 146.] AUGUST 1, 1806. [1 of Vol. 22. The ufuul SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER was published on the 25th of July, containing RETROSPECTS of English, FRENCH, and German LITERATURE, INDEXES, &c. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS fal fin was situated near the origin of the THE LONG-TAILED SHARK, OR THRESHER. tail : it was very small, and sharp-point ed, but not spinous. The anal fin was (Squalus Vulpes of Linnæus.) fituated immediately under this, and was IN the evening of the 16th of June, about the same fiže. The ventral fins 1805, the mackrel-fifhers near Chrift- were almost united at their base, and church were surprised, on hawling one of they extended backward in a direction their nets, to find in it an animal To large parallel to each other. The tail was exand powerful, that, till it was completely tremely remarkable : its upper lobe had landed, they could not believe it to be much the Shape of a fabre, and was fix any other than a porpefie. It however or seven times the length of the lower proved to be a long-tailed Shark, which lobe. The former, in the individual that measured in extreme length eleven feet I am describing, was not more than two and a half, and in its greatest girth, inches in depth, and one-third of an inch which was just before the dorsal fin, three at the extremity. Its lower edge was feet and a half. It weighed very nearly thin, and every part of it had a surpritwo hundred pounds. fing degree of strength, firmness, and The muzzle was Short, and fomewhat elasticity. To the touch it was nearly as pointed ; and the mouth, which was by hard as the stouteft leather, but it was no means large, was situated quite under much more elaftic. The fkin of the bothe head. The teeth were fo small , that dy was very smooth when the hand was the largest of the whole scarcely exceed- passed along it in a direction from the ed a quarter of an inch in length. They head to the tail; but when it was rubbed were triangular, and ranged in three the contrary way, a flight degree of rows in front of the upper, and in four roughness was to be felt. The lateral rows in front of the lower, jaw. At the line was ttraight, and extended from the fides of the mouth, both above and be head to within a little distance of the end low, there were only two rows. The of the tail. lower teeth were much tharper than the All the upper parts of the body were others, and their points had an inclina- of a cinereous blue colour, which, when tion towards the throat. The tongue was the aniinal was first taken out of the waretnarkably hard. The noftrils were ter, had some resemblance to the bloom somewhat in the fhape of an Italic S: on a fielli-gathered plum. The under they were about half an inch afunder, parts were white, but spotted here and lituated in front of the mouth, and about there with patches of all-colour.* ' two inches from the eyes. The eyes were On prefling the body with the fingers, witlun fuor inches of the extremity of the fleih felt soft and elastic, almost as if the muzzle. On each side of the body, there had been blubber immediately be and fituated near the base of the pećto- neath the skin.slor. id bor ral fins, were the five branchire or breath- The above animal was one of three ing apertures. The fins were hard, car, which had followed the same shoal of tilaginous, and finooth. The firit dorsal mackrel. It had been entangled in one fin was nearly equi-diftant betwixt the of the mackrel-nets a few evenings before nefe and the origin of the tail. It was it was caught, but it broke its way Jan amazingly firm and strong fin, of a through and escaped. When it was the triangular thape, and nearly equilateral: fecond time entangled, it did not struggle it flood perfecly upright, and could not much till the net grounded; but it then be closed apou the back like the dorsal beat about the water and fand in the fins of moit other fish. The fecond dor- molt violent manner imaginable. As MONTHLY MAG., No. 146. foon |