WHITEBAIT WHERE CAUGHT. 



277 



" 'It is q^^ite possible that a fluid or mucus of an irritating or 

 poisonous nature may collect in the longitudinal groove of the 

 spine, and may be introduced into the wound by contact ; but 

 there is nothing in the structure of the spine itself or of its basal 

 attachments to justify the sujDposition that a venomous fluid can 

 be injected by it. Whatever may be the nature of the virus, it is 

 certain that a puncture by one of these spines sufficiently deep to 

 draw blood is generally followed by much pain aul inflammation, 

 as I know from experience.' " 



Should any of my readers unfortunately be wounded 

 by a viper fish, I recommend fomentations of hot poppy 

 decoction, followed by poultices, with laudanum. Sal- 

 volatile in dram doses should be taken every two hours. 



V/HITEBAIT. 



The follow^ing account of Whitebait is given from the 

 Appendix to the " Pieport on the Sea Fisheries of 

 England and Wales, 187IJ," (1. 2-149), in which I give a 

 short history of each of the fish mentioned in the 

 Report : — 



The whitebait which comes to the London market is 

 caught principally at the following places : — Gravesend, 



WHITEBAIT. 



Qaeenborough, Leigh, Southend, Shoeburyness, and 

 Barnham (Essex). The nets used for catching white- 

 bait are sto^vboat nets, peterboat nets, and seines. 



The money expended in the actual capture of white- 

 bait is altogether of very considerable amount. There 



