POISONOUS ANIMALS 219 



and from my foot to the tips of my fingers I had a 

 purple mark about two and a half inches wide 

 running up the side I was stung. The agonies of 

 pain seemed to make an intense acid taste in my 

 mouth, and I trembled all over. I had to sit down 

 and hold my foot, hoping to ease the terrible pain. 

 My friend sent for some carbolic oil, and dressed my 

 foot, but it did little or no good. Never shaU I for- 

 get the dreadful pain as I had to limp home. My 

 foot did not entirely recover from the tenderness 

 for several weeks.' 



The sting-rays, of which one species is to be met 

 with ofE the southern coast of England, are other 

 fish that are able to inflict a poisonous wound through 

 the agency of a slime-covered and barbed spine 

 situated upon their tails, and sometimes growing to 

 a length of seven inches ; while in the coastal 

 waters of Central America are to be found some small 

 ground fish, known scientifically as Thalassophryne, 

 that are endowed with four spines (one arising on 

 each gill cover, and two upon the back), at the base 

 of which lie small sacs containing a poisonous fluid. 

 The spines are modelled upon the same principle as 

 the poison fangs of a snake, each one being pierced 

 by a tubular channel that conveys the venom from 

 the poison bags into the flesh of any victim which 

 should be unfortunate enough to come into contact 

 with them. 



Some of the remarkable creatures known as sea- 

 dugs possess stinging cells situated upon the club- 

 like growths arising from their backs ; and the cone- 

 shells which are found principally in the equatorial 



