THE FIREFLARE THE TORPEDO. 353 



lred pounds, which is nothing in comparison of their 

 enormous bulk in some other seas. 



It is chiefly during the winter season that our fish- 

 ermen take the ray; but the Dutch, who are indefa- 

 tigable, begin earlier, and fish with greater success. 

 The value of their capture generally rewards them 

 well for their assiduity, as the thornbr.ck and the skait 

 are very good food, and weigh from eight or ten, to 

 two hundred pounds; but sometimes their lines are 

 visited by the very rough ray, the tire-flare, or the 

 torpedo, which are very unwelcome intruders. 



The rough ray inflicts only slight wounds with the 

 prickles that cover its whole body, of which there in 

 not "a single part that is not armed with spines. Ot 

 these the puncture cannot be otherwise avoided than 

 by seizing the fish by the iittle fin at the extremity 

 of the tail. 



THE FIREFLARE, OR STING RAV, 



is a very singular species, and seems to be the terror 

 of every fisherman. It is armed with a barbed dart, 

 or sting, about five inches long, which is fixed in th 

 tail. Concerning the formidable powers of this in- 

 strument, a number of fables have been invented and 

 handed down from ancient to modern times. - It is 

 certain that the fish is capable of inflicting, with this 

 weapon, a deep and dangerous wound. Modern na- 

 turalists, however, do not suppose that it possesses the 

 poisonous qualities ascribed to it by the ancients, as 

 well as by many in later times. The sting of this 

 animal, which is so terrible to the apprehension of all 

 fishermen, appears to be only an instrument, which 

 the Author of Nature has, in his universal bounty, 

 given it for its own preservation. 



THE TORPEDO, OR ELECTRIC RAY, 



is singular both in its conformation and its qualities. 

 Its bodv is almost circular, and thicker than that of 

 any other of the ray kind. The skin is of a yellow- 

 ish colour, soft and smooth, and marked with large 

 annular spots: the eyes are small, the tail tapers to a 

 point, and the weight of the fish varies from one to 

 pounds. 



