4(52 THE GREAT WEEVER. 



hers after the lapse of suvcial years. The inhabitants 

 of Leso (one of the Danish islands) entertain tin- singular 

 notion that there is enmity betweei. the great \\ee\er am' 

 the gar-fish (Belonc vulyaris, Cuv.), and that when the 

 former appear in large shoals on their favourite feeding- 

 grounds, the others are driven away ; and as the gar- 

 fish are a marketable commodity, and '" _,reat \veever all 

 hut valueless, the advent of the latter 1 by these men 

 looked upon with great disfa\our. The usual habitat 

 of the great weever is moderately deep water, where the 

 bottom consists of sand, in which it is said this fish at 

 times so buries itself that only the eyes and mouth 

 appear, and in this position it preys on such small fish 

 and crustaceans as chance to appioach its lurking-place. 



The sharp spines of the first dorsal fin of the great 

 weever are considered hy the Scandinavian fishermen to 

 be equally poisonous as the fangs of the viper. These 

 men say, moreover, that when this fish is hauled into 

 the boat, it savagely snaps at their naked legs, &c. llence 

 they greatly fear it, and always use their best endeavours 

 to get rid of it as quickly as possible; and their fears 

 are not altogether groundless, for the wounds it inflicts 

 are occasionally most serious,* -ind instances are not 

 wanting of their proving fatal. The plan of treatment, 



* Doctor Rat/ky nf Halnistad, in iin official report to the Swinish 

 College of Health, relaU-s the following incident: "A tall and -tout I milt 

 Mierman from the parish of Kftra, filly fur ycai-s <.f a.u'e. was l.ruiitfht 

 into the hospital nil tin- 1'tith August, IS.'!-, liavinj; lieen stun;,' l'_v a i,'iv;it 

 weever in tin- middle fin^rr, which immnliately caiix'il r\.-.^,i\c pain. 

 \Vitliiu an hour al'lrrwanl- his arm, head, and rhc.-t liccamr swolh-n, and 

 the man continued to sutler excruciating torture. Oilliculty of l>rcathin>;, 

 palpitation of the heart, headache, and a constant inclination to Vomit 

 siipcr\encd. Sew-ntl small ].u>lules appeared on hi> arm ; anxiety and 



distress of mind added to his liodily pain ; the wound 1 anie very ollensive, 



and gali^reii" ' Thr patient was unalile to leave the hospital 



until tin- I'Uih Septeml,. 



