442 COLONEL MONTAGU ON NEW AND RARE . 



place, as an extraordinary fish, unknown amongst 

 the fraternity. 



With a knowledge of such facts, I cannot but 

 be staggered in my opinion, and hope that the 

 Secretary to the Wernerian Society may be in- 

 duced to prosecute his inquiries by dissection, at 

 different seasons of the year. The specimens of 

 Dracunculus are not very large on this coast, sel- 

 dom exceeding eight inches, more frequently not 

 above six, and sometimes not so much as two 

 inches ; a circumstance, that proves without doubt, 

 that it breeds contiguous to this coast. 



I have opened many in the months of July and 

 August, but without having been able to ascertain 

 the sex ; a circumstance not unusual in fishes, ex- 

 cept at the critical time of the year, when the 

 ova are enlarged, or the milt becomes tumid. 

 Even some viviparous fishes have long eluded the 

 search for sexual distinction. 



The Dracunculus is held in utter detestation by 

 the fishermen on this coast, from the supposed 

 venom communicated to the wound inflicted by 

 the tridentate spine on each side the head. From 

 this circumstance, it has acquired the appellation 

 of Stingfish, a name applied to the common 

 Weaver, Trachinus Draco, in other places. When 

 the Dracunculus is caught, no mercy is shewn to 

 it, being indignantly buried in the shingle by a 

 stamp of the foot. 



