TUt: CALMAR.~THE RAY. 219 



their light canoes, the waters which they frequent. 

 These animals will seize with their arms a light boat 

 and overtlirow it if tlie teutaculaB are not cut away 

 with a hatchet. The French corvette Alecion 

 encountered a gigantic calmar in the waters of 

 Teneriffe. The animal was secured by means of a 

 harpoon and a rope, but the head with its tentacles 

 dropped into the sea while it was being drawn on 

 board, owing to the rope cutting through the soft 

 flesh of the creature. 



Marvels have been recorded even of the teeth, the 

 skin, and the spines of certain species of fish. The 

 hooked spines of the ray have almost invariably 

 inspired terror. According to ^lian and Pliny, the 

 wounds made by the sting of the ray are incurable. 

 The former relates that a thief who was making off 

 with one of these fish was wounded by its sj tines, 

 and died immediately. In our day fishermen have 

 no fear of it at all. The Japanese consider that the 

 best possible remedy for the bite of serpents is to rub 

 the place with the spine of this species of ray. 

 Many of the Japanese carry it about with them for 

 the purpose, but, strictly speaking, to possess this 

 virtue it must have been cut from the living fish 

 and applied fresh to the wound. 



The negroes believe that the sting ctf the ray is 

 venomous, but thev have no more reason for this 



