264 FISHING GOSSIP. 



corporating it with lime, and throwing detached 

 pellets into the sea, one of which was no sooner swal- 

 lowed than the fish, immediately turning over, floated 

 up dead." But the most interesting of these poisons 

 is unquestionably prepared from the cyclamen, or 

 sow-bread, two species of which possess the property 

 of drugging fish in a remarkable degree, the C. Hcderce- 

 folium and the C. Neapolitanum. The lazzaroni, 

 from whom we first learned the qualities of this plant, 

 stated that they were in the habit of mixing it with 

 other ingredients, in a paste they called lateragna, 

 which is either thrown in lumps from a boat, or en- 

 closed in a bag, and thrust by means of a long pole 

 among the rocks, when, if any fish are within smell, 

 the crew are sure of a good haul ; it was found, they 

 said, particularly successful in the capture of Cephali, 

 and generally of low-swimming fish, whose nostrils 

 come in more immediate contact with it on the 

 ground. 



A paragraph in Cavaliere Tenore's Neapolitan 

 Flora, quite confirms the correctness of the above 

 statements. 



The ancient anglers never appeared to entertain a 

 doubt but that fish were as particular in their diet, 

 and would be as much charmed by its variety, as any 

 other class of animated nature. One of the oldest 

 works upon the subject of angling has this passage 

 a passage for its atmosphere of gout equal to anything 



