WEAPONS OF ANIMALS 171 



ciently powerful to lacerate the flesh of a human 

 being. The crocodiles and alligators also make 

 use of their armour -covered tails as a means 

 of offence and defence, although, of course, 

 their formidable array of teeth proves equally 

 effective. 



Certain species of fish possess spines upon their 

 bodies, familiar examples being the sticklebacks, 

 some of which have as many as fifteen upstanding 

 and spinous growths upon their backs. Many of 

 the skates and rays are endowed with a similar form 

 of armament which is frequently situated upon 

 their whip-like tails. The latter creatures are in 

 the habit of lying almost concealed beneath the sand 

 under the water, and, according to Mr. Day, some 

 of them are stated to catch and overpower other 

 fish that may happen to pass over their hiding- 

 places by encircling the bodies of their victims 

 with their caudal appendages, and then driving 

 their sharp spines into the flesh of the unfortunate 

 captives. The thornback skates (the term ' skate ' 

 being given to the long-snouted members of the 

 ray family) are even better armed than the foregoing 

 fish, for not only are their tails furnished with spines, 

 but similar structures, which are broad at their 

 bases and curve backwards at their extremities, arise 

 at intervals upon the upper surface of their bodies, 

 the growths, however, being more numerous in the 

 females than in the males. Another member of the 

 family, known as the common sting-ray, possesses 

 a sharp and barbed spine projecting from the middle 

 of its tail which may measure as much as seven 



