ON POISONOUS PISHES AND FISH-POISONS. 279 



fish, it may only import that those who handle it may reckon on a prickling 

 sensation from the fish for a whole day, and not that the flesh is a poison 

 ■within twenty-four hours. The most distinct fact of the clanger of wounds 

 from its spines is related by Sir Eohert Schomlrargk, in his History of 

 Barbados. " It lurks," he says, " amongst the stones in shallow water, and 

 inflicts a wound with its spines which causes the most violent pain. A 

 fisherman who had been struck by one, told Mr. Bishop that he was not 

 able to reach his home without assistance." — (P. 667.) 



The Scorpsenas, of which we have three — the bufo, Brasiliensis, and yran- 

 dicorms — are a part of that family of Loricati, or "Acanthopterygiens a joues 

 cuirassees," distinguished by Cuvier as fishes by their general form, standing 

 close to the " perches," but from their singular aspect, with the head armed 

 and bristled, having a special classification. The Scorpsena is the Skophaina 

 of the ancient Greeks. The barbillous and fleshy shreds ( lambeaux charnus ) 

 about the head, and the strong and unequal spines of the fins, give the 

 several species a dangerous look. Their Mediterranean name is from raschia, 

 the itch. It is only the Scorpama grandicornis that has a bad reputation in 

 our seas. The JS. bufo, Parra says, is a fish of very savoury flesh, excellent 

 for soups ; and Plee expresses himself precisely in the same way with regard 

 to the fish of Martinique. It attains a large size, individuals being got 

 sometimes eighteen inches in length. (C. & V., Hist. Natur. des Poissons, 

 liv. iv., ch. ix., vol. iv.) 



The Pagellus calamus (pagel a, plume) and the Pagellus penna (pagel h, 

 tuyau) are the fishes known among us by the name of Porgee, and have 

 proved at times deleterious. They are readily distinguishable at table by 

 the quill-like process by which the spine of the anal fin is inserted into the 

 abdominal muscle. It is from this organisation they receive the names of 

 calamus and penna. Porgee is a name they have in common with Mesoprion 

 pagrus, and pargo of Porto Bico. In both instances the appellation is derived 

 from the Pagrus vulgaris of the Mediterranean, to which the Pagellus is 

 closely allied. Both Pagrus and Pagellus are sparoid fishes, of which the 

 sparus of Artedi is the type. Mesoprion pagrus, however, ranks among the 

 perches. The mesoprions are the fishes known in our market as snappers. 

 (C. & V., Hist. Natur. des Poissons, liv. vi, ch. hi. & iv., vol. ii.) 



Valenciennes, who wrote portions conjointly with Cuvier of the Natural 

 History, and was the author of that portion in which is described the 

 " JSerrans," assigns to two of these fishes, under the names of Serranus 

 nigriculus and arara, the injurious character of fishes producing the disease 

 called by the Spaniards siguatera. The first intimation we have of this 

 prejudical fact is conveyed in these words : " Ce poisson," speaking of 8. 

 nigriculus, " comme beaucoup dautres des Antilles, est dangereux a manger 

 dans certaines saisons" (liv. iii, ch. xi.) ; and referring to S. arara on 

 Parra's authority, " ce poisson mange avec quelque danger, parcequ'il est 

 du nombre des ceux qui donne cette indisposition appelee la siguatera." 

 The serrans are perches, distinguished from the true perch by the continued 

 serration of the preoperculum, from whence they have their name serranus- 



