no 



and the eyes, which are of a peculiar reddish colour, as if blood- 

 shot, are situated high in the head, giving the animal a sort of 

 resemblance to a toad — it is indeed often called the Toad-fish. 

 The mouth is provided with hard fused beak-like teeth and 

 is placed at the upper anterior corner of the head, the lower 

 jaw forming a very large chin. It lives on barnacles and shell 

 fish, which it nibbles from the rocks. 



Many fish of the family {Tetrodontidce), to which it belongs, 

 are well provided with defensive organs in the shape of numer- 

 ous strong spines, which can be erected by taking in water 

 into a large sac on the digestive tract, when the fish becomes 

 inflated into a round ball. This fish can also do this, but the 

 spines are comparatively feeble, and apparently quite in- 

 adequate as defensive organs. Nor is the animal protected 

 by its ferocity ; it was never observed to attack any other 

 fish or large animal in the tank, and its slow paddling system 

 of locomotion and its general structure of mouth, teeth, etc., 

 are not at all adapted to such purposes. 



The secret of its immunity from attack, and perhaps its 

 conspicuous colouring, is at once evident if pieces of the flesh 

 of this fish be offered to fish and other animals in the tanks. 

 As when the flesh of ordinary fish, Crustacea, etc., is thrown 

 into the tanks, there is a rush of all the fish to secure a piece ;, 

 the food is torn up and scattered about, individual fish making 

 off to quiet corners to devour what they have happened to 

 secure. No fish, however, in this case eats what it has been so 

 anxious to procure. One by one they drop the pieces, often 

 apparently with reluctance, as they continue for a while to 

 return to them ; finally, however, they take no further interest 

 in the proffered food, even avoiding its proximity. 



The flesh of the Blaasop is therefore distasteful to other fish 

 and it is to this fact that the fish probably owes its immunity. 

 The conspicuous colouring of the body is, doubtless, a case of 

 warning colours or danger signals, useful both to the fish and 

 its would-be enemies. 



It is a well-known fact that the flesh of the Blaasop when 

 eaten by land animals has proved to be poisonous, the liver 

 being especially so. Fatal cases of poisoning have occurred 

 by the eating of this fish by seamen on ships visiting Simon's 

 Town, where it is abundant, and the native fishermen are well 

 aware of the serious results which follow the eating of its flesh. 

 They say that even if the liver touches food, it renders it 

 poisonous. Many of these fish are caught in the seines, and 

 their dead bodies may be always seen l3nng about on the beach, 

 and fishermen say that if any of these decaying fish be handled 

 the skin of the hand begins to itch and breaks out in red spots. 



