C2 GAME PISH OF FLORIDA. 



mouth, hut no teeth in it, so lie slushes his saw among a 

 school of mullets, killing half a dozen at a blow, which 

 he then gobhles up at his leisure. He is dreaded by 

 fishermen, who disable him hy a hlow on the saw. 



The angel-fish is a very had angel indeed, judging 

 from his appearance, which is between a shark and a 

 TH\ a hideous combination. 



The rays or skates belong also to this class, and they 

 are of large size and numerous on this coast, particularly 

 the sting ray, Trygon hastata (Storer), which is a terror 

 to fishermen. In wading to cast their nets they are in 

 danger of treading on this creature, which lurks in tho 

 mud or on the sandy bottom, and when touched strikes 

 with his terrible barbed weapon, making ragged wounds 

 so difficult to heal that they are popularly supposed to 

 be poisoned. These rays are often six feet long, includ 

 ing the tail, and three feet across. They appear to live 

 upon the small mollusks so numerous in these waters. 

 I have seen a ray, when hauled ashore, disgorge a pint 

 or more of these small bivalves. 



The torpedo ray, or crawfish, is also found on this 

 coast, which animal carries with him an electrical 

 battery of 250,000 plates as described by naturalists, 

 capable of giving a very severe shock to the incautious 

 fisherman. 



Cephaloptera vampirus. MITCHELL. The great ray, 

 vampire of the ocean, or devil-fish, is found also in these 

 waters, although it seldom enters the rivers. This is 

 often fifteen feet in length, and the same in breadth, 

 and is strong enough to drag off a small vessel, when it 

 becomes entangled with the cable, as sometimes hap 

 pens. In Charleston harbor they are pursued in whale- 

 boats, and captured with harpoons, affording great 



