THE HARPOON. 71 



ray. A dagger made of this bone was used in the Pelew 

 Islands in 1780, but seemed to be rather scarce. 



The left-hand central figure is a Fijian fish-spear of four 

 points, and the last figure on the right hand represents a large 

 four-pronged spear of Borneo. Both these weapons are in my 

 collection. 



Another example of a weapon where a large and powerful 

 barb is needful is the Harpoon. As the harpoon is used in 

 capturing the whale, the largest and most powerful of living 

 mammalia, it is evident that a barb which will hold such a prey 

 must be rather peculiarly made. The head and part of the 

 shaft of the harpoon are shown in the right-hand figure of the 

 accompanying illustration. 



The left-hand figure represents a curious parasitic crustacean, 

 popularly called the Sprat-sucker, because it is usually found on 

 sprats. It affixes itself mostly to the eye, the deeply barbed 

 head being introduced between the eye and the socket. In 



T? 



f> 



LERNENTOMA. 



some seasons this remarkable parasite is quite plentiful, while 

 in others scarcely a specimen can be found. Its total length is 

 slightly under an inch, and its scientific name is Lernentoma 

 Spratti. 



The following graphic account of some prototypic weapons 

 belonging to a marine worm is given by Mr. Rymer Jones, 

 and is well worthy of perusal, not only for the vividness of the 

 description, but for its exact accuracy : — 



" Here is a Polynoe, a curious genus, very common under 

 stones at low water on our rocky shores. 



" It is remarkable on several accounts. All down the back we 

 discover a set of oval or kidney-shaped plates, which are called 

 the back-plates [dorsal elytra) ; these are flat, and are planted 

 upon the back by little footstalks, set on near the margin of 

 the under surface : they are arranged in two rows, overlapping 

 each other at the edge. These kidney-shaped shields, which 

 can be detached with slight violence, are studded over with 

 little transparent oval bodies, set on short footstalks, which are, 



