The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-10-14
DANGEROUS FISHES.
CURIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF DEM
zENS OF THE DEEP.

skates" Their only fault is ugliness of
aspect fou have to go to tropical waters
in order to find the dangerous and other
wise extraordinary members of this tribe.
Not the least unpleasant of them is the
"stingray," which is quite common in
Florida waters. Imagine a gigantic fat
fish with great fleshy wings; give it a
breadth across of seven feet, a length of
twelve feet and q powerful tail armed with
an ivory dart ten inches in length. Such
is this remarkable animal. which has
caused the death OF many an unwary fish
erman 1t is slow of motion, lying on the
bottom and enjoying life harmlessly unless
interfered with. But once disturbed it in
a dangerous creature to encounter.
When alarmed it lashes about with its
tail, and woe to him in whose flesh the
caudal weapon sticks. The latter is a nee
die shaped instrument, with the keenest
possible point, and on both sides for its en-
tire length it is armed with barbs, pair
upon pair, so that when once stuck in it
cannot be withdrawn save by cutting it
out. OF its kind it is the most formidable
weapon with which any animal is equipped
by nature.
This sting" rs the fishermen call it, il
with which it is covered The latter gan
grenes the wound it makes, so that blood
poisoning is apt to set in, and frequently
the loss of a limb, if not of life, results.
myself once met a man who had nearly
died from stepping upon the dart of dead
stingray, which. though its former owner
had long since passed away, stuck up in
the sandy bottom of a shallow lagoon. Ny
friends foot was thrust through it while
he was wading for crabs.
TILE MUCR FEARED sTINGRAY.
When one of these creatures is dragged
into boat the utmost care has TO be exer-
cised lest it wound it captor by the switch
ing of its tail. One who walks in the shall
lows of a southern river finds ii very I'M
pleasant TO see occasionally a section OF
what has appeared to be the bottom, per
haps several feet in diameter, move slowly
away just as he is about to step upon it.
The animal assumes a likeness in color to
the sand or mud where it finds it home, in
order that prey may approach it without
suspecting the presence of the lurking
monster.
The stingray is sometimes called the
CLAN cracker" because it is able to break
the shell of the toughest quahaug as easily
as the operation can be performed with
hammer. Its upper jaw is furnished with
sort OF mosaic pavement of teeth, with
which it is able to smash the hardest sub
stances To oyster beds the creature is q
deadly enemy. and where its species is
numerous the bvalves have to be pro
tected with fences Crabs, sea snails aud
squids furnish large part of its diet.
When it loses its sting" by an accident
another one grows. 1t is sold for eating
purposes IN the New Orleans markets
The meat is very peculiar and quite unlike
anything else, the muscular tissue COM
posing the wings being of so coarse a text
ure that, after the flesh has been boiled,
one can dissect the fbres out upon ones
plate. These wings are merely pectoral
fins enormously developed. They, as well
as similar parts of skates and other rays,
are sold in considerable quantities at San
Francisco TO the French and Italians, who
value them for the table. Skate tails are
largely eaten on the Pacific coast by the I
Chinese and Mexicans
THE DANGEROUS SEA DEVIL
Skates lay eggs. though all the other !
fishes of the order of rays bring forth their /
young alive, One may pick up plenty OF I
skate eggs anywhere on the seashore. /
Children call them sea purses" They /
arc rectangular almost in shape, with long
tails at each corner and about three or 1
four inches in length. 1t is merely the 4
shells that one finds. the young animal /
having made it, exit through al opening .
at on end. The stingray produces from 7
three TO nine living young AT one brood, /
but its cousin, the formidable ''sea devil" F.
49, hT-Fh col ,rre -,y, off wtrlr
time. in which respect it Is probably unique
among the fnny tribe
Much of the romance that has been
written about the sea devil or true devil 4
fish is based upon fact. It Ia one OF the /
all events, when attacked. Animals are
formidable in two ways-they possess a
natural ferocitv which impels them to At
tick, or they NAV be fierce in self defense.
The sea devil VIII always run away If It
can, but IL : a most perllous beast 70 en-
counter when defending Itself To begin
with. il Is OF enormous size, often messur-
Ing thirty feet from tip 70 tip Of its mighty
wings, aud it. muscular power Is 50 snor-
nous that many cases are well authenti-
Gated where i has actuslly carried away
small vessels, having become fouied with
the alCloF liHAs mere u on EeCDfu IL &c
count Of a specimen captured Of Barbs-
does which was Of such vas, oulE that
seven oxen were required 20 draw II over
to. land
The SEA devil win undoubtedly assal
boats L attacked. aud stories are tod u
Is swapping such small craft OF extend
ng one Of Is great wings out Of The wstsr
md dragging crew aud bark under the sea
With flap Of the giant fin Il has two
great horns o. Heshv protuberances extend
NJ forward from = head which assist {
a grssping is prey Being csrniTor0ls
u is habits, there = every reason for sup
posing that L would deVour man II Spca
/ victim were 20 happen into its clutch
Accounts ara given o. u zSSsiiing divers,
;woOping upon them from above, 50 that
ne unfortunate behold= !iving clo1d sss-
ling over him with eager jaws 70 gobb.e,
while helpless 70 escspe TIE horrible EN-
brace However. IL Is doubtful II there :
any truth in sacb tales-InfsTylew IN
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