Polygonacese. 
Mr. C. Hedley has a note in Proc. Royal Soc. of Queensland, vol. v, in which 
he states that a species of Polygonum, probably P. orientate, was pointed out to 
him as being one of the plants which the Port Curtis (Queensland) blacks use in 
obtaining fish, and that when a quantity of it is pounded up and thrown into a 
waterhole, it rapidly brings all the fish to the surface in a dying condition, without 
impairing their wholesomeness as food. 
Verbenacese. 
Faradaya splendida F.v.M. Mr. E. J. Banfield (loc. cit.) says this plant is 
known in Northern Queensland as " Koie-yan," and the blacks employ it as 
follows : 
Portions of the vine are cut into foot lengths ; the outer layer of bark is removed and rejected, the 
middle layer alone being preserved. This is carefully scraped off, and piled up in shapely little heaps on 
fresh greeu leaves. When a sufficiency is obtained it is rubbed on to stones, previously heated in the fire. 
The stones bejng then thrown into a creek or a little lagoon left by the receding tide, the poison becomes 
disseminated with fatal effect to all fish and other marine animals. 
Thymelacese. 
Wtkstrcemia indica. Solander, the companion of Cook and Banks, says that 
the branches and leaves of the Tahitian variety bruised and mixed with the rasped 
seeds of Barringtonia speciosa, are used in the Society Islands to stupefy fish for the 
purpose of catching them when they come to the surface of the water. 
Such is a brief list of the principal plants used by the aborigines of New 
South "Wales and Queensland for the purpose of poisoning fish. It must not for a 
moment be supposed that it includes even a small percentage of our indigenous 
poisonous plants, scores of which could be at once quoted as being undoubtedly 
deleterious to fish. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to take even the few I 
have quoted, subject them to chemical analysis, and thus decide to what substance 
the effect first, noticed by the aborigines on fish is due. 
Euphorbiaceae. 
Dr. Kyle, of St. Andrews', has studied the effects of Euphorbia hiberna, used 
as a fish poison by the natives of some parts of Ireland. He says that tannic acid 
appears to be the active ingredient. It produces fatal effects by causing inflammation 
of the gills, and consequent suffocation (Gnrd. Chroit., 24th May, 1902, p. 341). 
There is an article in The Indian Forester, for June, 1896, on " The bark 
of Cleistanthus collinus Benth. as a fish poison." This plant is used in many parts 
of India for the purpose, and the presence of tannin is suggested to be the active 
principle. The paper also gives a short list of trees used as fish-poisons. 
, In Eastern Australia we have four species of Cleistanthus, but I have not seen 
it recorded that their bark lias been used in the manner above indicated. 
