''TIEATKR WEEVER. 
45 
Its pawing in the sand, shewed its sense of some unwonted 
object that was concealed below, which, when discovered by 
digging, inflicted a blow on two persons who endeavoured to 
grasp it, to their no small surprise and pain. 
The precision and skill with which the formidable spine of 
the neck is thus directed to an object of fear that shall touch 
it or approach too closely are indeed surprising, so that by a 
sudden and rapid impulse it will inflict a wound if even the 
touch is confined to the tail, and that too without any injury 
to itself; and formidable indeed is the effect produced by the 
puncture. It is certain that no exudation or discharge of a 
poisonous fluid proceeds from this projecting spine; but it is 
equally certain that the pain which instantly follows the puncture 
is severe, and there are instances where within a few minutes 
this pain has extended from the hand as high as the shoulder. 
On one occasion, when a fisherman had laid hold of a Weever 
which he had taken on a line, the sudden plunge of the 
piercing instrument instantly compelled him to drop his prize; 
and when, ignorant of the danger, it was grasped successively 
by two other persons, so great was the agony felt by all of 
them, that they were compelled to leave their fishing, and 
proceed to land in order to procure relief; which, however, 
was readily obtained by means of smart friction with the sand 
of the shore. Nor has the frequency of instances of this 
accident been lost upon fishermen, who, in consequence, are 
usually careful to avoid the risk to which the incautious 
meddlings with this fish would expose them. And the danger is 
not wholly removed after the Weever is dead; and we are 
told that on this account, in some places it is provided by law 
that this formidable dart shall be removed before its bearer 
is offered for sale in the market. The spines of the dorsal 
fin have also been an object of dread, and there is no doubt 
that a puncture from them might be followed by unpleasant 
consequences, such as are known sometimes to be produced 
by those of other fishes that are similarly furnished; but in 
these cases the wound is only accidental, and the fish does 
not employ them for any purpose of injury or defence. 
Various wore the remedies employed in ancient times to 
remove the pain, and cure the supposed ill consequences that 
might arise from a puncture by the spine of this fish; and 
