THE FIRE-FLARE lU 



polfon, grov.'s like a fpine from the tail ; It Is about five 

 inches long, and about four inches behind the bodj. Ac- 

 cording to the tremendous fables of Fllny, it is furnifhed 

 v.'ith a venom fo potent, as to affecl even the animal cre- 

 ation. Trees that are ftruck with it, inftantlj lofe their 

 verdure, and rocks themfelves are incapable of refilling 

 this powerful mrus *. It was with the fpine of the trj- 

 gon, or fire-flare, that the enchantrefs Circe armed her 

 fon ; and with this irrefiftible weapon, he, unintentional- 

 ly, became the murderer of his father UlyJJes. What a 

 happinefs it Is that thefe animals do not frequent the 

 woods, and are fo feldom feen afhore ! 



Succeeding naturaiifts finding the tafle for the marvel- 

 ous had decreafed in their age, have been obliged to give 

 the hiftory of this ^i^ix a greater degree of vevifimilirude ; 

 curtailing it of its powers againfl inanimate nature, they 

 have coiitented themfelves with making it formidable to the 

 fiUlermcnf. ThiJr opinion has been fantlioned by the 

 name of Linnaeus, who afcribes poifonous qualities to no 

 lefs than three dilferent fiflics ; the fire-flare, the torpe- 

 do, and the tetrodon lineatus t^ It may be juftly doubt- 

 ed, however, whether, any fifli has a fpine charged with 

 aftual poifon ; as far as the Jling is concerned, we know 

 that this is not the cafe : The fpine is its peculiar wea- 

 pon of offence, and is capable of giving a very bad 

 wound, which being commonly inflicted on tlie tendonous 

 parts of the body, and by thofe who are conflanlly work- 

 ing in cold vi^ater, is fometimes painful, and diflTicult to 

 cure §. 



But 



f Hiftoria animal. ' \ Vide Gcfner, Aldrovandus and Rondektius* 



I Syd. Natiirs. § Brit. Zool. 



