Sharks.—­Sharks appear on all parts of the coast, and instances continually occur of persons being seized by them whilst bathing even in the harbours of Trincomalie and Colombo.  In the Gulf of Manaar they are taken for the sake of their oil, of which they yield such a quantity that “shark’s oil” is a recognised export.  A trade also exists in drying their fins, for which, owing to the gelatine contained in them, a ready market is found in China; whither the skin of the basking shark is also sent, to be converted, it is said, into shagreen.

Saw Fish.—­The huge Pristis antiquorum[1] infests the eastern coast of the island, where it attains a length of from twelve to fifteen feet, including the serrated rostrum from which its name is derived.  This powerful weapon seems designed to compensate for the inadequacy of the ordinary maxillary teeth which are unusually small, obtuse, and insufficient to capture and kill the animals which form the food of this predatory shark.  To remedy this, the fore part of the head and its cartilages are prolonged into a flattened plate, the length of which is nearly equal to one third of the whole body, its edges being armed with formidable teeth, that are never shed or renewed, but increase in size with the growth of the creature.

[Footnote 1:  Two other species are found in the Ceylon waters, P. cuspidatus and P. pectinatus.]

[Illustration:  HEAD OF THE SAWFISH (PRISTIS ANTIQUORUM)]

The Rays form a large tribe of cartilaginous fishes in which, although the skeleton is not osseous, the development of organs is so advanced that they would appear to be the highest of the class, approaching nearest to amphibians.  They are easily distinguished from the sharks by their broad and flat body, the pectoral fins being expanded like wings on each side of the trunk.  They are all inhabitants of the ocean, and some grow to a prodigious size.  Specimens have been caught of twenty feet in breadth.  These, however, are of rare occurrence, as such huge monsters usually retreat into the depths of the sea, where they are secure from the molestation of man.  It is, generally speaking, only the young and the smaller species that approach the coasts, where they find a greater supply of those marine animals which form their food.  The Rays have been divided into several generic groups, and the one of which a drawing (Aetobates narinari[1]) is given, has very marked characteristics in its produced snout, pointed and winged-like pectoral fins, and exceedingly long, flagelliform tail.  The latter is armed with a strong, serrated spine, which is always broken off by the fishermen immediately on capture, under the impression that wounds inflicted by it are poisonous.  Their fears, however, are utterly groundless, as the ray has no gland for secreting any venomous fluid.  The apprehension may, however, have originated in the fact that a lacerated wound