152 SALT-WATER FISHES 



head seems equipped with an almost identical armature. As a 

 matter of fact, the weevers take a very different place in the 

 economy of nature ; while, as regards their use to man, they are 

 eaten in some continental countries after the removal of the 

 offending spines, but are little appreciated by us. In the 

 poorer quarters, however, of some large cities in this kingdom, 

 weevers find a ready sale under various disguises. The smaller 

 kind is the more abundant on our south coast, but the larger 

 seems more commonly found in northern waters. They have 

 no air-bladder ; the eyes are directed upwards ; the mouth 

 opens obliquely. 



The Greater Weever {Trachinus draco), which grows in 

 our seas to a length of between 12 and 18 in., has 

 curious oblique hnes of scales down its body, which show a 

 yellow shade against the grey ground-colour. The fins are 

 mostly yellow, with some black on their margins ; but the first 

 dorsal is black, and is apparently erected as a danger-signal. 

 It is not, to all appearance, used intentionally by the fish, as are 

 the spines on the gill-covers. With the latter either of the 

 weevers can strike any object with great accuracy. Couch 

 relates how he kept a greater weever alive by throwing sea 

 water over it, and how it struck at his stick whenever he stirred 

 it up. The spines in these fishes are not comparable to the 

 venom-fangs in some snakes ; indeed, it is not satisfactorily 

 demonstrated that any venom is introduced in the wound, 

 though this seems probable. In the case of the " Fortescue," 

 a venomous little fish of Australian seas, it is claimed that 

 there is a direct venom-gland. At any rate, a wound from the 

 weever's spines is sufficiently serious to have called on more 

 than one occasion for prompt surgical operation, and it is 

 singular that no steps are taken in this country to warn anglers 

 and others against these fishes. One often shudders at the 

 sight of some child, or even grown person, ignorantly handling 

 the dangerous little fish on some pier or other in August, 

 during which month, particularly during a spell of east wind. 



