THE HARPOON. 71 



ray. A dagger made of this bone was used in the Pelew 

 Islands in 1780, but seemed to be rather scarce. 



The left-hand central figure is a Fijian fish-spear of four 

 points, and the last figure on the right hand represents a large 

 four-pronged spear of Borneo. Both these weapons are in my 

 collection. 



ANOTHER example of a weapon where a large and powerful 

 barb is needful is the Harpoon. As the harpoon is used in 

 capturing the whale, the largest and most powerful of living 

 mammalia, it is evident that a barb which will hold such a prey 

 must be rather peculiarly made. The head and part of the 

 shaft of the harpoon are shown in the right-hand figure of the 

 accompanying illustration. 



The left-hand figure represents a curious parasitic crustacean, 

 popularly called the Sprat-sucker, because it is usually found on 

 sprats. It affixes itself mostly to the eye, the deeply barbed 

 head being introduced between the eye and the socket. In 



LERNEJJTOMA. 



some seasons this remarkable parasite is quite plentiful, while 

 in others scarcely a specimen can be found. Its total length is 

 slightly under an inch, and its scientific name is Lernentoma 

 Spratti. 



The following graphic account of some prototypic weapons 

 belonging to a marine worm is given by Mr. Hymer Jones, 

 and is well worthy of perusal, not only for the vividness of the 

 description, but for its exact accuracy : 



" Here is a Polynoe, a curious genus, very common under 

 stones at low water on our rocky shores. 



" It is remarkable on several accounts. All down the back we 

 discover a set of oval or kidney- shaped plates, which are called 

 the back-plates (dorsal elytra] ; these are flat, and are planted 

 upon the back by little footstalks, set on near the margin of 

 the under surface : they are arranged in two rows, overlapping 

 each other at the edge. These kidney-shaped shields, which 

 can be detached with slight violence, are studded over with 

 little transparent oval bodies, set on short footstalks, which are, 



