86 PEOCEEDLNGS OF THE 



APPENDIX. 



I. Some Vegetable Poisons used for the Capture of Pish by the 

 Australian Aborigines. By P. W. Pawcett. (Communicated 

 by P. M. Bailey, P.L.S.) 



(Abstract.) 



The Australian aborigines have a practice of catching fish by 

 throwing the bark, leaves and branches of certain plants into 

 lagoons and waterholes, which so embitters or poisons the water as 

 to stupefy the fish, and thus render them easy to capture. These 

 plants contain some alkaloid or bitter agent, which paralyzes the 

 fish for a time, but what this stupefying principle is has never yet 

 been thoroughly investigated. This practice is not confined to 

 Australia, but prevails in many other parts of the world. 



The follo\^ing is a list of the plants used by the native 

 Australians for the use specified, with the names by which they 

 are known to the colonists : — 



Acacia falcata, "Willd. Hickory, Lignum-vitse, Sally, Willow, 



" Weet-jellan " in N. S. Wales. 

 A. penninervis, Sieb. Blackwood, Mountain Hickory. 



A. salicina, Lindl. Australian or Native Willow. " Baka " in 

 Queensland, " Cooba" in N. S. Wales. 



Barringtonia racemosa, Gaudicb. Presh- water Mangrove, 

 " Yakooro '' in North Queensland. 



B. speciosa, Linn. f. 



Careya australis, P. Muell. Broad-leaved Apple-tree. Queens- 

 land native names : — "Barkabah" at Townsville ; "Barror' 

 at Pockhampton ; " Go-on je " and " Guntha-marrah " in 

 N.W. Queensland; " Monta" at Port Curtis; and "Ootcho" 

 in the Mitchell Eiver. 



Oupania Pseudo-rhus, A. Pich, 



Derris uliginosa, Benth. An allied species, D. elUptica, Benth., 

 is used in Java as a fish-poison and in Borneo for an arrow- 

 poison. 



Eucalyptus microtJieca, P. Muell. Plooded Box, Plooded Gum, 

 " Coolibar, Koolibah, Kurleah," and " Jinbul." 



Luffa (xgyptiaca, Mill. " Bun-bun," N. Queensland. 



Polygonum orientale, Linn. 



Stephania hernandicpfolia, Walp. Tape-Vine. " Nyannum " in 

 S.E. Queensland. 



Tephrosia astragaloides, R. Br. " Jerril-jerry " and " Toon-ta.' 



T. purpurea, Pers. " Girrel-dree." 



Of these, five plants have not been hitherto recorded as fish- 

 poisons — Oupania Pseudo-rhus, Eucalyptus microtheca. Luff 

 cegyptiaca, Polygonum orientale, Stephania Jietmandicefolia, an 

 Tephrosia astragaloides. Greshoflf (Beschrijving der giftige en 

 bedwelmende planten bij de vischvangst in gebruik : — Medel. uit 

 'slands plantentuin, x., Batavia, 1893) catalogues 233 species 

 which are used in various parts of the world for the poisoning or 

 stupefying of fish. 



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