HALIEUTICA, II. 455-461 



he wounds, nor the Cuttle-fish," but in them also is 

 bred an ichor scanty but noxious. Among fishes 

 armed with sharp stings are the Goby ^ which rejoices 

 in the sands and the Scorpion <= which rejoices in the 

 rocks, and the swift Swallows and the Weevers ** and 

 those Dog-fish * which are named from their grievous 

 spines — all discharging poison with their deadly 

 pricks. 



The Goby is probably intended in Ov. Hal. 1-28 Spina 

 nocuus non gobius ulla. 



" //. i. 171 n. ; Ov. Hal. 116 Et capitis duro nociturus 

 scorpius ictu. 



'' Trachinus draco L., the Greater Weever, and allied 

 species, T. ripera, the Lesser Weever, T. radiatus, T. 

 araneus, the first two found in British waters : all in M.G. 

 Spdxaiva. Cf. Ael. ii. 50, v. 37, xiv. 12; A. 598 a 11 ; Phil, 

 94- ; Plin. ix. 8-2 rursus draco marinas captus atque iramissus 

 in harenam cavernara sibi rostro mira celeritate excavat ; 

 xxxii. 1+8 draco — quidam aliud volunt esse dracunculum 

 [prob. T. ripera], est autem gerriculae [ = Gr. fiatvis] amplae, 

 aculeum in branchiis habet ad caudara spectantera, sicut 

 Scorpio laedit dum manu tollitur. Also called araneus, 

 Plin. xxxii. 145 Peculiares autera maris . . . araneus, ix. 

 155 Aeque pestiferum animal araneus spinae in dorso aculeo 

 noxius. "lis sont tres redout es par les pecheurs, leurs 

 blessures determinant quelquefois de graves accidents. II 

 est generaleraent admis que les aretes de ces poissons sont 

 veneneuses. Aussi les pecheurs les saisissent-ils avec la 

 plus grande precaution ; on les apporte rarement intacts au 

 marche ; le plus souvent, pour eviter tout danger, on les 

 mutile aussitot apres les avoir captures " (Apost. p. 9). 

 Drayton, Polyolbion xxv. 167 The Weaver, which although 

 his prickles venom bee, By Fishers cut away which Buyers 

 seldom see. Cf. Day i. 78 ff. It is generally thought "that 

 the correct spelling of the English name is Weever, O.F. 

 vfivre, Lat. vipera, cf. the heraldic Wyvem, though the Lat. 

 nra ««>«« = spider suggests some doubt. Weaver (Wyver) 

 being in some places, e.g. Banffshire, in familiar use as a 

 name for a species of spider. 



• Sqiialu^ centrina L. ; cf. H. i. 378 n. 



323 



