ousin of the Herring). Where the shoals go, the Blue Shark follows. The
silly Mackerel, all crowded together, have no chance to escape their
awful foe. They are nearly as helpless as a flock of sheep with a tiger
in their midst.

[Illustration: THE ELECTRIC RAY]

If the Shark comes across a mass of Mackerel or Pilchards in a net, he
looks on them as a fine feast. Dashing at them, he tears the net to
pieces, swallowing lumps of netting with great mouthfuls of fish. Small
wonder the fisherman detests this savage visitor which causes him such
serious loss of time and money. He naturally looks on Sharks as useless
"vermin," to be destroyed whenever possible.

[Illustration: _Photo: A. F. Dauncey_. DOG-FISH EGG CASE]

The Fox Shark, or Thresher, is another fierce visitor to these shores.
This savage hunter comes after the Herrings, Pilchards and Sprats. It is
said to hunt these useful little fish in a strange way. As you know,
they travel in shoals. The Thresher swims rapidly round and round them.
Nearer and nearer it comes to the unlucky little fish, and they crowd
together, huddling up in a helpless mass. The Thresher adds to their
panic by _threshing_ the water with its terrible tail. And then, as you
can well imagine, it dashes at them and devours an enormous meal. Half
the length of the Thresher is tail. Not long ago there was landed at one
of our fishing ports a Thresher Shark of half a ton, its tail being over
ten feet in length. Even the great Whale has reason to fear the fierce
lashings of that long, whip-like weapon!

Our commonest Sharks are those small ones known as Dog-fish, which you
can often see at any fish market. They are good to eat, though not used
much as food. Though small in size, they are large in appetite and
fierce in nature. Like savage dogs, they hunt in packs, waging war
against the Whiting, Herring and other fish.

[Illustration: THE SHARK]

There are several kinds of these small Sharks, known as Spur-dog, Smooth
Hound, Greater-spotted and Lesser-spotted Dog-fish, and Tope. And you
will hear fishermen call them by such names as "Rig," "Robin Huss," and
"Shovel-nose." Fisher-folk dislike Sharks, the Dog-fish among them. All
those creatures, like the Cormorant, Seal, and Shark, which catch fish
for breakfast, dinner and supper, are rivals of the fisherman. He often
pulls up his line to find but a part of a fish on the hook--the rest was
snatched by a "dog." At times his nets are torn by