THE STING-EAT. 379 



Der in which this fish defends itself shows its consciousness 

 of the formidable weapon it carries in its tail. When seized 

 or tempted its habit is to twist its long, slender, flexible tail 

 around the object of attack, and with its serrated spine tear 

 the surface, lacerating it in a manner calculated to produce 

 ■violent inflammation." Other authors state that it is capable 

 of striking its weapon with the swiftness of an arrow into 

 its prey or enemy, when with its winding tail it secures its 

 capture. These spines, as may be supposed, possess no 

 venomous quality; when lacerated wounds happen to men 

 of bad habits of body, the symptoms are frequently severe, 

 but no more serious effects have ever followed from the sting 

 of a ray. 



They are occasionally encountered by the angler on 

 sheepshead-grounds in the Lower Bay of New York, and in 

 the waters of Long Island Sound, and . afford considerable 

 sport, although their rank and disagreeable flesh is of no use 

 except as a. fertilizer, but when captured their stings, of 

 which there are often two, are preserved as a trophy. 



The writer, while fishing in the Lower Bay with rod and 

 reel for sheepshead many years ago, a style of angling prac- 

 tised before the year 1845, aDd of which a, description is 

 given on page 201 of this work, although Dr. Scott, in his 

 "Estuary Fishing," claims to have inaugurated that method 

 of capturing that vigorous fish — but to return to our story : 

 Being rigged with stout Virginia hooks attached to twisted 

 gut, and baited with a whole clam, the party, five of us in 

 number, cast our bait upon the waters and down they went, 

 with the heavy leads, to the bottom. A short period of time 

 elapsed and the line was raised^ and it appeared evident that 

 my tackle had fouled on the bottom, but, on a second pull, the 

 line, which was of linen and 200 yards long, began to run 



