162 Mr. G. J. Allman on the Sting 



different species of Cottus, and other spiny fishes, poisonous 

 properties. For directing my attention to the passage, as well 

 as for the accompanying translation, I am indebted to the Rev. 

 W. Hamilton Drummond, D.D., to whom much is due for in- 

 troducing this curious poet to the English reader*. 



Kevrpa le TrevtcrievTa fier i^dvcriv loirXicravTo, 

 Kw/3tos, os \pafxadoLai Kai 6s 7rerprj(Ti yeyrjde, 

 ^SiKopTrios, wKetai re ^eXt^ores, rjde cspciKovres 

 Kat icvves, ol Kevrpoicnv eniovvfxoL apyaXeoiai' 

 Havres arapr-qpois vko vvyfiaviv iov levres. 



Hal. ii. 457. 



" Cruel spines 

 Defend some fishes, as the Goby, fond 

 Of sands and rocks, the Scorpion, Swallows fleet, 

 Dragons and Dog-fish, from their prickly mail 

 "Well named the spinous. These, in 'punctures sharp, 

 A fatal poison from their spines inject." 



None of the older naturalists, indeed, ever think of denying 

 venomous properties to the Weever; it is the dorsal spines, 

 however, which are almost constantly spoken of as the seat of 

 the virus. Willughby says the six dorsal spines are consi- 

 dered venomous, and therefore the fishermen cut them off on 

 taking a fish. He does not, however, think it proved that the 

 poison is confined to these spines. 



Universal as was the belief among the ancients of the ve- 

 nomous character of the Weever, the idea seems to be now 

 almost as universally abandoned, and modern naturalists agree 

 almost to a man in considering it a vulgar error, fit only to be 

 placed among the rubbish which recent investigations have 

 been so rapidly clearing away from the science of nature. 

 Cuvier treats it altogether as an error, and even denies the 

 possibility of the Weever inflicting poisoned wounds. Speak- 

 ing of its spine, he says, " N'ayant aucun canal, ni communi- 

 quant avec aucune glande, elles ne peuvent verser dans les 

 plaies un venin proprement ditf/ 3 



Powerful as is this authority, and that of many other of the 

 moderns, I have been notwithstanding induced to come to 

 quite a different conclusion, and to agree with the ancients in 

 ascribing venomous properties to the Weever. 



On the 9th of August, 1839, I was wounded near the top 

 of the thumb by a Trachinus Viper a, which had just been taken 

 in a seine with herrings, sand-eels, &c. The wound was in- 



* See Essay on the Life and Writings of Oppian, by W. H. Drummond, 

 D.D., M.R.I. A., published in Transactions of Royal Irish Academy for 

 1820. 



f Hist. Nat. des Poiss. t. iii. p. 184. 



