BY THE REV. J. E. TENISON-WOODS. 47 



packed on the surface. The genus referred to here, has a linear 

 frond, compressed, two-edged, with an obscure mid-rib which is 

 distichously branched. 



Gelidium belongs to the family of sea- weeds called Cryptone- 

 miace^e, or purplish and rose-red algse, mostly bundles of threads 

 of gelatinous or cartilaginous consistency, composed wholly or 

 in part of cylindrical cells connected together into filaments. 

 Gelidium is horny, and of very dense structure. The frond is 

 pinnate, compressed and narrow. 



JFish-Poisons. — From the number of plants which have the 

 name of fish-poisons among all the Malay races, it would seem as 

 if fishing by stupefying the fishes to capture them is a common 

 practice. 1 have never seen it done in Malaysia, but I believe it is 

 common. In Malay fish-poisons are called tuba (pronounced tooba), 

 and I found this name applied to ten different species of plants. 

 There may be more in use, but those enumerated are certainly the 

 commonest. It was not always easy to distinguish between a plant 

 that was regarded as a medicine (Obat), and that which was used 

 as above, and the difficulty of communicating in some of the less 

 Known dialects rendered it impossible to obtain correct information. 

 The Malays, seeing me collect plants, would frequently volunteer 

 some statement as to the properties of particular species. It was 

 in this way that the poisonous characters were learned, which 

 would otherwise have escaped me, for some of the species at 

 least, are not known to possess such qualities. It may be pre- 

 sumed that it is only in still Waters of small dimensions that the 

 process can be adopted. The poison, I believe, is simply thrown 

 into the water, where the infusion is thought to be the cause of the 

 stupefaction. In some of the larger ponds and lakes this can 

 hardly be the case, and possibly the fish are brought under the 

 influence of the drug in consequence of their swallowing small 

 portions of the plant. 



Readers need hardly be reminded that this method of fishing 

 was a common one amongst poachers throughout Europe. It is 

 furtively practised perhaps everywhere. One great objection of 



