32 
Day also made mention of a similar practice, when he 
described among means of capture “the taking of fish by 
poisoning pools of water by milk bush, tobacco leaves, 
Indian hemp, and many poisonous kinds of jungle fruits. 
This is generally carried on during the dry seasons of the 
year, when the pools in the rivers are still and hardly any 
current exists. It is very easy to collect the poisons—throw 
them into a pool, and await the fish floating intoxicated to 
the surface. These fish are sold in the markets.” 
The practice I have alluded to is of such general interest 
as to persuade me to trouble you with the following parti- 
culars of like trees and shrubs used similarly in Africa, 
details of which I have extracted from Oliver's ‘Flora of 
Tropical Africa.’ 
Tephrosia Vogelit, a shrub 8 to 10 feet high, its branches 
woody ; ascending, clothed with dense spreading ferruginous 
or yellowish silky lines: found in Upper Guinea, Sierra 
Leone, Fernando Po, Princes Island, Nile land—Unyoro, 
Lower Guinea—Golungo Celto, and Pungo Andongo, 
Mozambique district—Zambezi, and Zanzibar. 
Often used, in fact, cultivated, like the allied Tephrosia 
toxicaria in America, for the purpose of throwing into ponds 
to stupefy fish, called “_Igongo” on the Gaboon. 
Milettia ferruginea, a large tree with firm terete ultimate 
branches clothed with fine short ferruginous silky tomentum. 
“ Berebera” is the Abyssinian name of this handsome tree. . 
The powdered seed is thrown into the water to stupefy 
fish. . 
Derris uliginosa, a wide-climbing shrub with firm glabrous 
terete woody branches. Found in Mozambique district, 
Zambezi land, banks of the Luabo, and in the Zambezi 
delta. Stem used, when beaten, as a fish poison, acting 
rapidly and effectively. Extends through Asia to North 
Australia, and also occurring in Madagascar. 
