120 MALAY POISONS AND CHAEM CUBES 



as they approach the base of the spine* The under 

 surface presents two well-defined grooves, one on either 

 side of the ridge of bone which runs along the spine, 

 separates the two serrated margins, and becomes 

 flattened out at the base ; the dorsal surface is smooth 

 and rounded. The spine Hes with its under grooved 

 sm-face opposite the dorsal sm-face of the taiL The 

 fact that poison glands, protected by a sheath, are 

 situated at the base of the spine and fill the gi-ooves, and 

 that the emission of the poison takes place in a very 

 simple manner, was proved by Porta in 1905 (Ref. 11). 

 As the spine is thrust into the flesh the sheath is forced 

 towards the base, compresses the gland, and evacuates 

 the poison along the grooves into the wound. The 

 flesh of the sting-ray is not poisonous when cooked for 

 food ; but the tail, with the attached spine, is invariably 

 removed before exposure for sale in the markets. 



There are several species of sting-rays vdth. Malay 

 names. Maxwell has identified 'pari helavmr, the 



bat ray, as Trygon uarnak, Forsk. ; pari Mndera 

 or p, dawn, the flag" or " leaf " ray, as T. sephen, 

 Forsk. ; pari Mat, the ** fly " ray, as T, walga ; pari 

 rirnau, the " tiger " ray, as T. Kuhlii, and pari dedap, 

 Urogymnus asperrimus, Bl., Schn. The bishop " ray, 

 iEtobatis narinari, Euphr. {pari lang, the " eagle " ray), 

 one of the six species of the Myliobatidse recognised in 

 Malayan waters, is known to cause severe symptoms of 

 poisoning. Violent pain and faintness precede rapid 

 local swelling about the puncture, which quickly 

 becomes the seat of violent inflammation, and perhaps 

 gangrene. Crevaux has shown that the spines are 

 channelled in South American species and connected 

 mth poison reservoirs (Ref, 10). The poison glands of 

 T. pastinaca, a sting-ray which ranges from the south 

 of England westwards to America and eastwards to 



