2l2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION. 
sees’ ’—distinguished by Cuvier as fishes by their general 
form standing close to the perches, but from their singular 
•aspect, with the head armed and bristled, having a special 
classification. The Scorpmna is the scorpaina of the an- 
cient Greeks. The barbillons and fleshy shreds (lambeaux 
charnus) about the head, and the strong and unequal spines 
of the fins, give the several species a dangerous look. Their 
Mediterranean name, Yaschia, the itch, will guide us in 
our inquiry into the reason of their evil report. We find 
we are equally directed to the puncture of their spines as to 
the quality of their flesh. The particular Scorpsena known 
as the “ crapaud de mer” in Martinique, as “rascacio” in 
Havana, and as “ rascasse vingt-quatre heures” in St. Do- 
mingo, has an especially bad reputation. Valenciennes, in 
his associated labours with Cuvier, says of one species, in 
volume iv. of the History of Fishes, “ on redoute beaucoup 
les piqures de ses aiguillons 5” and of another, “ les piqures 
de leurs epines les rendent redoutables” — the prick of their 
spines is much dreaded; and then he adds: that a preju- 
dice prevails against the flesh as poisonous — mentioning, 
that because death is supposed to ensue in the course of a 
day, one has received the name of “ rascasse vingt-quatre 
heures.” As the rascacio of the Spaniards means nothing 
more than “ prickling fish,” it may only import that those 
who handle it may suffer from the spines a prickling of 
great severity for a whole day, and not that the flesh will 
poison within twenty-four hours. The most distinct fact 
of the danger of wounds from the spines is related by Sir 
Bobert Schomburgk, in his History of Barbados. The fish, 
he says, lurks amongst the stones in shallow water, and 
inflicts a wound with its spines which causes the most vio- 
