256 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



THE SEA DRAGON. 



Of the Ray tribe of fishes, the Sea Dragon is the 

 most frightful-looking, but we know next to nothing 

 about it. Pliny only cursorily mentions it thus : " The 

 Sea Dragon again, if caught, and thrown on the sand, 

 works out a hole for itself with its muzzle, with the 



most wonderful celerity." Olaus Magnus simply copies 

 Pliny almost word for word. Gesner, from whom I 

 have taken this illustration, merely classes it among the 

 Rays, and gives no further information about it ; neither 

 does Aldrovandus, from whom I have taken another 

 picture. 



THE STING RAY. 



Pliny mentions the Sting Ray, and ascribes to it 

 marvellous powers, which it does not possess : " There 

 is nothing more to be dreaded than the sting which 

 protrudes from the tail of the Trygon, by our people 

 known as the Pastinaca, a weapon five inches~in length. 

 Fixing this in the root of a tree, the fish is able to kill 

 it ; it can pierce armour, too, just as though with an 

 arrow, and to the strength of iron it adds all the corro- 

 sive qualities of poison." 



