" BURRA-REE " 145 



generally, the stone fish well deserves the specific title of 

 horrida. Moreover, has it not a gift which would have 

 brought it to the stake a few score years ago, as a sinful, 

 presumptuous and sacrilegious witch — that of living for an 

 hour or two out of its natural element. It deserves the 

 bad eminence to which it has been raised by the blacks on 

 accounts of looks alone, and if the poisonous qualities are 

 in line with its hideousness, one can but pause and ponder 

 why and wherefore such a creature has existence in " this 

 best of all possible worlds." But it is known that to the 

 Chinese it is dainty. They pay for it with good grace as 

 much as 2s. 6d. per lb., and the flavour is said to resemble 

 crab. 



" Burra-Ree " 



Another inhabitant of the coral garden to be avoided is 

 the balloon fish {Tetraodon ocellatus), which distends itself 

 to the utmost capacity of its oval body when lifted from the 

 water. The flesh is generally believed to be poisonous, 

 though of tempting appearance. Authorities assert that 

 the pernicious principle is confined to the liver and ovaries, 

 and that if these are removed as soon as the fish is captured 

 the flesh may be eaten with impunity. Let others careless 

 of pain and tired of life, experiment. Middle-aged blacks 

 tell that when a monstrous " Burra-ree " was speared here, 

 notwithstanding its evil repute, some of the hungry ones 

 cooked and ate of it. All who did so died or were sick 

 unto death. Some years ago two Malays in the vicinity of 

 Cairns partook of the flesh and died in consequence. No 

 black will handle the fish, and a dog which may hunt one 

 in shallow water and mouth it, partakes of a prompt and 

 violent emetic. Blacks are very careful to avoid touching 

 it with anything shorter than a fish-spear, being of 

 opinion that the poison resides in or on the skin, and 

 that the flesh becomes impregnated when the skin is 

 broken. 



K 



