136 ACANTHOPTERYGII. PERCH FAMILY. 



M-hite, with interrupted yellow lines; first dorsa? 

 with its web deep black. It spawns in summer. It 

 is occasionally met with at Weymouth, Hastings, 

 and other parts of the coast ; and is much dreaded 

 by the fishermen on account of its sharp spines 

 which are usually considered as venomous, but 

 without any sufficient reason, as they are quite de- 

 void of all poisonous secretion. Mr. Couch states 

 that he has known three men wounded successively 

 in the hand by the same fish, and the consequences 

 have in a few minutes been felt as high as the 

 shoulder. Strong friction with sea-sand was long a 

 popular remedy among the fishermen, from which 

 nothing could be expected but an aggravation of 

 the symptoms. The application of oil seems a far 

 more suitable remedy, and that procured from the 

 liver of the offender will ever be at hand. Both in 

 France and Spain there is a positive law whereby 

 the fishermen are required to remove the spines 

 before they are brought to market. 



(Sp. 8.) T. vipara. The Lesser Weever, seldom 

 attains a length of more than five or six, and very 

 rarely of seven, inches : it is of a reddish grey above, 

 with the under parts approaching silvery white, 

 with faint indications of transverse yellow lines ; 

 the web connecting the four first spines of the first 

 dorsal fin is deep black, and there is a black spot at 

 the extremity of the caudal fin. This species is more 

 generally distributed than the former, being com- 

 mon in Scotland, especially in the Solway Frith, as 

 well as in England, and beiiig familiarly known in 



