CURIOUS INHABITANTS OF THE GULF STREAM 
167 
Photograph by E. R. Sanborn, New York Zoological Society 
A GIANT POSES 
One of the largest fishes of the warm seas is the Jewfish which frequently reaches 500 pounds in weight. 
The tendency of the lens in the eye of a fish to approach the shape of a sphere is clearly shown. The Jew- 
fish is sluggish but very strong. 
the East Indies there are rectangular 
species, but ours are all three-cornered, 
beechnut-shaped. They go by various 
names—Cuckold, Shellfish, and so forth, 
the Cowfish (Color Plate, page 179) being 
a species with two hornlike spines pro¬ 
jecting from its forehead. They are 
excellent eating, cooked in the shell like a 
Lobster. 
SOME FISH ARE RISKY DELICACIES 
The back muscles of the Swell-fishes 
are sometimes eaten, but make a risky 
delicacy, as there are well authenticated 
instances of severe poisoning from eating 
these fishes. The poison seems to be 
localized in the viscera and to permeate 
the rest of the fish after death. 
In some quarters of Japan Swell-fish 
is highly esteemed when prepared 
for the table with care, but there is a 
Japanese proverb to the effect that 
before eating Swell-fish one should have 
one’s last will and testament in good order. 
Poisoning resultant from eating cer¬ 
tain species of tropical fishes is a subject 
which will repay further study. In Cuba 
several kinds are reputed dangerous and 
their sale prohibited in the larger mar¬ 
kets. Among them are the Great Barra¬ 
cuda, Green Moray and certain species 
