ON POISONOUS FISHES AND FISH-POISONS. 299 



Diospyros glutinosa: the fruit is used for tanning, under the name of gaub. 

 The ashes oiMusa sapientum, Justicia Adhatoda, Chenopodium, and Arum are 

 all employed in tanning, on account of the carbonate of soda they contain. 

 Sogah bark is used for tanning in Singapore ; Samak bark is also used in 

 the same place. The bark of Careya arborea is used for tanning in Ceylon. 



British Guiana. — Mora bark (Mora excelsa) is suitable for tanning. 

 The barks of the mangrove, hog plum (Spondias lutea), karakalli (Lecythis 

 ollaria), and siruaballi (Nectandra sp .) are all recommended for tanning. 

 Also the following barks, of which the scientific names are not known ; 

 consequently the trees which produce them are undefined : — Baramalli, or 

 pump-wood bark ; marsiballi, hurahee, arumata, konaballi, cuyama, 

 kulaballi, haiawaballi. 



Bucida Buceras of French Guiana, the French oak of the Antilles, 

 is used for tanning. Holm-tree bark is used in Tuscany for tanning. 

 The barks used for tanning in Spain are those of the alder ; of the 

 Aleppo, Spanish, Corsican, Bordeaux, and stone pines ; of the ilex, 

 cork, and four other oaks, and three kinds of willow. Rhatany root 

 (Krameria triandra) is said to be used in South America for tanning ; 

 Cascara and Timbo Colorado barks, in the city of Parana ; Curupay 

 bark, in Corrientes ; Algaroba and Cevil barks, in Cordova (South America) ; 

 Courida bark (Avicennia nitida), on the east coast of Demerara. 



There can be little doubt that some of the Indian and Colonial barks 

 mentioned in these notes might advantageously be imported into this 

 country. The introduction of a really good tanning substance would be 

 of great service, as it would cause a reduction in the price of oak bark 

 and valonea, which are at present the staple tanning materials used in 

 England. 



Bristol. 



ON POISONOUS FISHES AND FISH-POISONS. 



BY THE HON. RICHARD HILL. 

 (Concluded from page 284.) 

 Mr Samuel Barton, pilot of Port Royal, supplies me with a remark that 

 carries us over a great deal of ground in accounting for the fishes of our 

 coast so frequently manifesting poisonous qualities. Midway between 

 Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica, lie the extensive reefs and shoals of the Formigas. 

 They are several miles in extent, and have barely more depth of water on 

 them than for a moderate-sized vessel to pass in a smooth sea. This shoal 

 presents a concentration of all the incidents to be found in our fringing 

 shore reefs. Arborescent corals and spreading millepores stretch on walls 

 and ledges, interspersed with huge meandrinas and brain stones, among 

 which lodge a profusion of holothurias, echinuses, star-fishes, and a variety 

 of sponges. This great mass of reefs, called from their clustering swarm, 

 the Ant's Nest, or the Formigas, is a great warren or vivarium for all sorts of 



