218 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



according to the previously quoted authority, ' it 

 is their invariable specific for shingles . . . and to 

 cure it living toads are applied to the inflamed 

 part.' 



The secretion from the skin of the variable tree- 

 frog {Dendrobates tinctorius), a creature which 

 grows to a length of about one and a half inches, 

 and is found throughout tropical America, is utilised 

 by the Indians for the purpose of poisoning the tips 

 of their arrows, a single individual yielding suffi- 

 cient venom to place upon as many as fifty arrows. 



Passing to the fish which possess venomous powers 

 we win take as our first example the familiar 

 weaver-fish or sting-bulls that are found off the 

 coast of the British Isles. They secrete a slimy fluid 

 upon their spines which is so powerful in its action 

 that if a person be stung in the hand by one of the 

 creatures the resulting pain can be felt right up 

 the arm to as high as the shoulder after an interval 

 of but a few minutes. A very graphic description 

 of the effects arising from a sting from a weaver - 

 fish was contributed some years back to the pages of 

 the Country Side by Mr. M. B. Norgate, the corres- 

 pondent writing : — ' Last year when bathing at 

 Paignton I had the misfortune to step on one of the 

 stinging-fish. It was a very low tide, and we were 

 out a great distance from dry sand. I thought I had 

 stepped on a piece of sharp glass, and yet could 

 only see two small punctures on the sole of my foot, 

 as though caused by a prick from a two-pronged 

 fork. I found the pain so intense whilst I dressed 

 that I could hardly forbear from screaming out ; 



