fisn poisoning and poisons.— hamltn-harris and smith. 17 

 Order RUBIACE^. 



SARCOCEPHALUS CORDATUS, Miq. 

 ' ' OOLPANJE, ' ' Mitchell River, N.Q. 

 '' COOLIABY," Cloncurry, Q. 



As a food used by the natives of the Mitchell and Flinders Rivers, 

 Palmer*" mentions the fruit of 8. leicliliardiii, which is eaten raw. The bark of 

 -S*. cordatus has been sent us from the Proserpine with a reputation as a fish- 

 poison. S. cordatus appears to exert a slight and temporary stupefacient effect 

 only in considerable concentration. The bark is pronouncedly bitter and contains 

 a non-alkaloidal bitter principle or resin {Bancroft), and an alkaloid in very 

 small quantity. Tannin is absent. S. esculentits has been stated to contain 

 alkaloids {see Bull. Imp. Institute, vol. xiii.. No. 1, p. 46), and Greshoff (loc. cit.) 

 lists genus Sarcocephalns as being alkaloid-containing. 



Order EBENACE^. 



DIOSPYROS HEBECARPA, A. Cunn. 



"TULICAN," Goongangee Tribe, Cape Grafton. 



"KUB," Torres Strait {A. C. Haddon). 



Other species of Diospyros are toxic and the secretion of the fruit 

 vesicatory. The use of the fruit is reported elsewhere as a tish-poison.*^ Relative 

 to the properties and uses of the fruit of D. hebecarpa we are informed by Mr. 

 Samuel Lyon, of Yarrabah, as follows: — " This large wide-spreading tree- 

 blossoms usually in September and October in North Queensland, and produces, 

 fruit wliich in its fresh condition has distinct toxic properties." 



Members of the Goongangee tribe pound it between two flat stones, the 

 resulting pulp being then placed in a dilly-bag, which is swirled about in the 

 selected creek (fresh or salt water). In fresh water " Tulican" turns the water 

 yellow, in salt water red. As the fish become stupefied they rise to the surface 

 and are usually removed with a spear. In spite of the caustic nature of the 

 fruit the poisoning does not in any way appear to spoil the fish as an article of 

 food. The juice of the fruit brought into contact with the skin produces 

 blistering, and the natives in handling it exercise great care in consequence. The 

 specimen of dried fruit received was devoid of vesicatory power and inefficacious 

 ■ as a tish-poison, which, indeed, was not expected, from the emphasis laid by our 

 correspondent upon the necessity of fresh condition. 



Order VERBENACE^^. 

 farad aya splendida, f.v.m. 



" KOIE-YAN," Dunk Island. 



In forwarding the specimen, E. J. Banfield writes: '' Portions of the vine- 

 {sic) are cut into foot lengths; the outer layer of the bark is removed and 

 rejected, the middle layer alone being preserved. This is carefully scraped off 

 and made up in shapely little piles on fresh green leaves. When a sufficiency is 



" E. Palmer, Journ. Anthropological Institute, vol. 13, 1884, p. 317. 

 > *' W. E. Roth, N.Q. Ethnography, Bull. 3, p. 19. 



i^ A. C. Haddon, Expedition to Torres Strait, vol. 4, p. 159. 

 B 



