FIRE-FLAIRE. 24*5 



phial, except in its being weaker. This was several 

 times repeated, even with eight persons, and the effects 

 were the same. 



There seems to be a double end answered by this 

 strange faculty, with which the torpedo is endowed. It is 

 exerted as a means of defence against voracious fishes, 

 which are instantly deprived of the means of annoyance 

 by a single touch ; and by concealing itself in the mud, 

 and benumbing such marine animals as are carelessly 

 swimming round, it makes them readily its prey. 



THE FIRE-FLAIRE, OR STING-RAY. 



This is a very singular species of ray ; it is armed with 

 a barbed weapon about five inches long, concerning the 

 formidable powers of which many fables have descended 

 to us, from the time of the ancients. Some of the old 

 naturalists ascribed to it a kind of venom affecting even 

 the inanimate creation ; and affirm, that trees touched by 

 it instantly lose their verdure, and rocks themselves are 

 unable to resist this very malignant poison. The enchant- 

 ress Circe is said to have armed her son with a spear, 

 headed with the spine of this fish, as the most irre- 

 sistible weapon which she could supply ; and, indeed, this 

 bone was not only used by the ancients, but the modern 

 American Indians still use it instead of iron to barb their 

 arrows. 



But, though the fire-flaire is capable of inflicting a very 

 terrible wound, attended with dangerous symptoms, there 

 is no reason to believe it possessed of all the deleterious 

 qualities ascribed to it. It certainly contains no poison, 

 as it is destitute of glands necessary to concoct the 

 noxious fluid. In short, the sting, which is so terrible to 

 the apprehension of the boldest and most experienced 

 fishermen, seems bestowed on it merely for its own pre- 

 servation. 



Though the torpedo and the fire-flaire are the two 

 most remarkable species of ray, there are several others 

 ^which are caught and used for food. They have all 

 M 3 



