Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-23
DANGEROUS FISHES.
CURIOUS cHARAc TeRisTIcs or DEM
zENs OF THE DEEP.

stingrRy-serpents That Garry on Yes
ssls--A Poisonous Dart That Is "A Ter
rOr TO Crabbers--The Order of Rays.
There are no more curious fishes in the
world than those which belong to the order
of rays. Certain members of the family
are familiar enough under the name OF
Skates" Their only fault Is uglines of
aspect. You have to 20 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 fiat
fish with great ieshy wings; give it a
breadth across 0t seven feet, a length of
twelve feet and II powerful tail armed with
an ivory dart ten inches in length. Such
IN this remarkable animal, which has
caused the death of many an unwary fish
eFman. 1t IL slow of motion. lying on the
bottom and enjoying life harmlessly unless
tnterfered with. But once disturbed it Ia
AdanKerous creature to encounter.
When alarmed 1t lashes about with its
tail, and woe TO him in whose flesh the
cAudal weapon sticks. The latter is nee
die shaped instrument, with the keenest
possible point, aud OH both sides for its en-
tiro length IL IL armed with barbs, pair
upon pair, 80 that when once stuck in it
cannot be withdrawn save by cutting it
out OF its kind 1t Is the most formidable
weapon with which any animal is equipped
by nature.
This sting" ~ the fishermen call IL, IL
chiefly dangerous because OF the slime
with which 1t Is covered. The latter gan
Rrenes the wound 1t makes, 80 that blood
poisoning IL apt TO set In and frequently
the loss OF limb, IL not of life, results
myself once met man who had nearly
died from stepping upon the dart of a dead
Btingray, which. though its former owner
had long since passed away, stuck up in
the sandy bottom of n shallow lagoon. My
friends foot was thrust through it while
he was wadng for crabs.
TIKI MUCH FEARED sTINGRAY.
When one OF these creatures Is dragged
into boat the utmost care has to be eXer
cised lest 1t wound 1t captor by the switch
ing of its tail. One who walks in the shall
lows OF a southern river finds 1t very un.
pleasant to see occasionally a section of
what has appeared to be the bottom, per
hRps several feet in diameter, move slowly
away Just as he Is about TO step upon it.
The animal assumes Il 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 IL sometimes called the
''olRm cracker, because it is able to break
the shell OF the toughest quahaug as easily
az the operation can be performed with
hammer, It's upper jaw is furnished with
sort OF mosaic pavement Of teeth, with
which 1t is able to smash the hardest sub
stances TO oyster beds the creature is a
deadly enemy, and where it's species Is
numerous the bivalves have to be pro.
tected with fences Crabs, sea snails and
sQulds furnish IA large part of its diet
When it loses its sting" by an accident
another one grows 1t il 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 wtngs being of so coarse text
ure shat, after the flesh has been boiled,
one can dissect the hbres out upon ones
plate. These wings are merely pectoral
fins enormously developed. They, as well
an 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
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
skate eggs anywhere on the seashore.
Children call them "sea purses" They
are rectangular almost in shape, with long
tails at each corner, and about three or
four inches in Langth. 1t is merely the
shells that one finds, the young animal
having made its exit through an opening
at one end The stingray produces from
three to nine living young at one brood,
but It's cousin, the formidable "sea devil"
gives birth to but single offspring at a
time, In which respect it is probably unique
among the ilnny tribe
Much OF the romance that has been
written about The sen devil or true devil
fish is based upon fact, 1t is one of the
most dangerous monsters of the deep, Mt
all events when attacked Animals are
formidable in two ways-they possess n
natural ferocity which impes them to at
tack, or they may be fierce in self defense.
The sea devil will always run away if it
can, but 1t Is most perious beast to en-.
counter when defending itself. TO begin
WlJut IL II VI tNlOlillOuN SlNCt OlbCH iltdHuE-
ing thirty feet from ~ to tip Of its mighty
wings, and its muscular power is so enor
NOUS that many cases ara well authenti
Gated where 1t has actually carried away
small vessels, having become fouled with
the anchor lines There is on record an &C
count Of specimen captured off Barba-
does which was q 'T sgiicli vast bulk that
seven oxen were required to draw it over
the land.
The sea devil will undoubtedly assail
boats II attacked, and stories are told Of
It's swapping such small craft by extend
ing one of It's great wings out of the water
and dragging crew and bark under the sea
with flap of the giant fin. 1t has two
great horns or lleshy protuberapces extend
ing forward from its head, which assist it
in grasping It's prey Being carnivorous
in its habits, there is every reason for sup
posing that 1t would devour man il such
victim were to happen into its clutch.
Accounts are given of its assailing divers,
swoopinR upon them FROM above, so that
the unfortunate behoIds n living cloud set
ting over him with eager jaws to gobble,
while helpless to escape the horrible en-
brace However, it is doubtful if there is
any truth in such Interview in
Washington Star