DRAGON WEEVER. 129 



application which one might at first suppose would 

 rather aggravate than alleviate the complaint. 

 Many other popular remedies are used in different 

 countries. Notwithstanding the suspicious aspect 

 of the above-mentioned black fin, it does not seem 

 to have any thing in its conformation which can 

 justify the idea of any poisonous fluid conveyed from 

 it into the wound ; the spines when microscopically 

 examined shewing no appearance of a tubular 

 structure. 



The Weever is considered as an excellent article 

 of food, and is much esteemed in Holland, France, 

 &c. It feeds principally on marine insects, worms, 

 and small fishes ; jt is tenacious of life, and can 

 exist many hours out of water : the skin is remarkr 

 ably tough, and the .animal may be excoriated with 

 almost the some facility as an eel. 



It is maintained by some ichthyologists, that 

 there are in reality two kinds of this fish ; viz. the 

 greater and smaller Weever ; but the difference, if 

 any, seems to consist merely in size and a slight 

 Variation of colour : thus Willoughby mentions his 

 having seen a specimen at Rome which, exclusive of 

 its size, differed from the common kind in being 

 marked along the sides with large black spots 

 instead of the usual oblique yellow streaks : the 

 same variety seems also to be figured in the work 

 of Salvian. Mr. Pennant likewise describes and 

 figures the Grpat Weever in the British Zoology, 

 but makes no mentioji of the spots observed by 

 Willoughby, 



It may be added that tke Weever was by Artedi 

 v. iv. P. i. 9 



