FISHES. 231 



concealment or escape, but wield with energy their peculiar 

 weapons of defence. The Skate has a tail armed with sharp 

 spines: the point of the nose and the hase of the tail are hent 

 towards each other, and the tail when lashed about in all 

 directions, is capable of inflicting severe wounds. The Weever 

 (Trachinus draco] is furnished with spines on the gill-cover 

 and on the first dorsal fin, which have the power of inflicting 

 severe wounds, and even of imparting a venomous secretion. 

 This power, which has been questioned by modern writers, 

 was well known to the ancients, though they attributed 

 venomous powers to some species which are certainly 

 harmless.* 



' Cruel spines 



Defend some fishes, as the Goby, fond 

 Of sands and rocks, the Scorpion, Swallows fleet, 

 Dragons and Dog-fish, from their prickly mail 

 Well named the spinous. These in punctures sharp, 

 A fatal poison from their spines inject." OSSIAN. 



Pennant says that he has seen the lesser Weever direct its 

 blows with as much judgment as a fighting cock. 



The Picked or Spined Dog-fish (Acanthias vulgaris) is dis- 

 tinguished from all other Sharks by a single spine placed in 

 front of each of its two dorsal fins. " This fish," says Mr. 

 Yarrell, " bends itself into the form of a bow, for the purpose 

 of using its spines, and by a sudden motion causes them to 

 spring asunder in opposite directions; and so accurately is 

 this intention effected, that if a finger be placed on its head, 

 it will strike it without piercing its own skin." 



These spines are perfectly developed in the young fish prior 

 to birth, and Mr. Ball has made known to us a beautiful pro- 

 vision by which they are prevented at that time from lacerating 

 the mother. They are each " covered at the point with a 

 small knob of cartilage, fastened by straps of the same material, 

 passing down one on each side of the three sides of each spine, 

 in such a manner as evidently to become easily detached at 

 birth, thus allowing the little animal (like the goddess of 

 classic fable) to commence life effectively armed, "t 



* Dr. G. J. Allman, Annals Nat. Hist. vol. vi. p. 161. He had suffered 

 acute pain from a wound inflicted by the spine attached to the gill-cover 

 of the Weever. 



t Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 27th April, 1846. Mr. 

 Ball exhibited at the same time two perfectly formed young, which he had 

 taken from the mother on the 30th of the preceding November. 



