TO CATCH FISHES. 87 



for this purpose runs thus : take off the berries 

 of the Oriental Cocus, a quarter of an ounce ; of 

 cuinin and boihng water, ejich two ounces ; of 

 cheese, one ounce, and of meal three ounces ; 

 after bruizing them together, form them into 

 smaH balls. Others mix the berries with old 

 cheese, honey, and wheaten meal, of which they 

 form small balls, to be thrown to fishes. Others 

 for this purpose mix a variety of other substances 

 with these berries ; but after all their pains there 

 is no necessity for so troublesome an apparatus, 

 since [ have known by experience, says Ray, 

 that a simple ball of the powder of these intox- 

 cating berries, made up with wheaten meal and 

 water, is equally efficacious for stupifying, and 

 at last killing, fishes ; for that fishes, as some as- 

 sert, are by eating balls of this kind, only ren- 

 dered vertiginous and stupid for a while, but 

 soon return to their natural state, is not confirm- 

 ed by experience ; for my own experience, says 

 Mr. Ray, quadrates with the opinion of those 

 fishes spoken of by the learned Condronchius, 

 who affirms that fishes are soon killed by balls 

 of this kind. But 1 do not know whether, as 

 they assert, they soon become putrid, and fall 

 into pieces, unless they are speedily taken out of 

 the water. If, says Condronchius, any should 

 object, that, upon taking these balls, the fishes 

 swim up and down with uncommon haste and pre- 

 cipitation, by which means their intoxication, or 

 vertigo is produced ; I answer, that they do not 

 ramble thus inconsequence of their vertigo, but 

 in consequence of the intolerable pain they feel 

 from that unfriendly substance, just as other 

 animals do, especially men, when they are racked 

 witli any intense pain, i readily grant that by 

 these balls fishes are rendered vertiginous, and 



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