The Progress., 1892-03-05

w ~ tn trohbers- ~" order ~ iaNs.
Fsaflv ere are no more curious fishes I'm the
Il than those which nelong 80 the order
IutnIilrys. Certain members Of the fnrniiv
,amiiur enough under the unne of
tes.' Their only fault is ugliuoss ~
70. You have go 90 10 tropical wHters
" der 10 find the dprgrrous pnt other
- extraordinary members uf th,e tribe
. the least unpleasant ut them l- the
which Is quite common m
ida wa'prs lmugu" - gigantic hat
M fwith prept GyahI wings give b.
dth rcross oi snyen f"at length uf
ve feet and powerful tail nrwad with
,ory dart ten ir,nos iu leurih such
kb Jhis remarkable animal. which hns
ell the death Of many nm uu'vurv fsh
No. 9hu. II is slow of motion. living on the
ON and enjoyiur hte harWlo4-lv unless
'fpred with Bot once disturbed it ia
festFf ingerous creature to encounter
hen alarmed IT lpshcs about with I's
EEo. and woe 10 him IN whose ne-h ihe
,lal weapon sticks The latter ia nee
shaped instrument with the lnnncsj
ible point and ON both sides for ITS an
Avs length il is armed with harba, pair
Full nn pair so that when once stuck in Il
Parish, not be withdrawn save bycutting IL
iists ~ OF its kind IT. il the most formidable
0,n,m, 'm, pom with which any animal "a equipped
iature
lis sting" ua the fishermen call II. Ia
e'0" fly dangerous because of the slime
which IL il covered The latter gan
nes the wound it makes, 80 that blood
~ Woning is apt 20 set i'm, and frequently
W N loss Of n limb. If not of life, results. !
WI Aelf once met y man who had nearly
I from stepping uUon the dart Of u dead
Igray, which though its former owner
long since passed away, stuck up iE
sandy bottom Of shallow lagoon. Ny
Bls foot was thrust through 10 while
tYnG wading for crabs.
lHE MUCH FEARED srIyGEAY.
hen one of these creatures is dragged
"a bout the utmost care has 10 he eyer
tV lest il wound II Captor by the switch
Iof its tail. One who walks i'm the shnl
of n southeru river finds il very un
II lasant to see occasionally n section ~
at has appeared TO be the bottom, per
"a several feet in diameter, move slowly
ay Just as he - about 10 step upon it
sanimal assumes likeness in color TO
sand or mud where IL finds II home, in
er that prey may approach it without
pecting the presence Of the lurking
Colphso'ers;, r,,ror,v "a somo,,ms. called III.
am cracker" because it. is able 10 break
shell of the toughest quahauE rs easily
Al asithe operation can he performed with
81 thaumer. lts upper Jaw ia furnished with
~ In SORT CT Iposaic pavement Of teeth, with
81 which il is able TO snnsh the hardest sub
stmces 10 oyster beds the creature il a
deidly enemy, and where it's species il
& numerous the biyalves have 20 he pro
\ reced with fences. Crabs, sea snails and
9 ,sapids furnish large part Of its diet.
ID When it loses its sting 10y an accident
{ Il anbther one grows. 1t il sold for eating
purposes i'm the New Orleans markets
II The meat is very peculiar and quite unlike
II arfthing else, the muscular tissue com
= Nvr,sing the wings being of 80 coarse text
lIrlre that, after the flesh has been boiled,
one can dissect the tibres out upon ones
plate These wings are merely pectOral
fins enormously developed. They, "a well
as similar parts of skates and other rays
are sold I'm considerable quantities at San
Francisco TO the French and Italians who
value them for the table. Skate tHils are
largely eaten on the Pacific coast 10y the
Chinese aud MeXicaus.
I THE DANGEROUS SEA DEVIL.
Skates lay eggs, though oil the other
i 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
n Nfonr inches in l8ngth. lt ~ merely the
tbells that one finds, the young animal
Il having made it's exit through an opening
| At one end The stingrRy produces from
three to nine living young at ono brood,
but its cousin, the formidable "sea devil"
= Hives birth to but a single otlepriug mt
Hime in which respect il is probably unique
kmong the 1nny tribe
III Much of the romance that has been
il written about the sea devil or true devil
4 fsh is based upon fact. II ia one of the
4 most dangerous monsters Of the deep, at
4 III events, when attacked. Animals are
Il fonnidable in two ways-they possess
Il natusal ferocity which impes them 10 at
Il tack. Or they may he fierce in self defense
T | The ses devil will always run away If it
| can. but Il is "A most perilous beast to en-
| counter when defending itself 10 begin
Il With, it is Of enormous size, often measur
| ing thirty feet from tip TO tip Of its mighty
o wings and its muscular power Is 50 enor
nous that many cases are we'll authenti
J. i GATED where it has actually carried away
}, III ANAL vessels, having become foued with
II the anchor lines There is on record an ac-
o i count Of specimen captured off Barba-
/ does which was Of such vast bulk THAI
Il seven oxen were required 10 draw II over
II the land
The sea devil win undoubtedly assail
boats IL attacked and stories ars told Of
e.. swamping such small craft by extend
q one OF its great wings out of the water
nd dragging crew and bark under the sea
18th n flap of the giant fin, Il hrs two
great horns or tieshy urotuheHnces extend
. Sag forward from it, head. which assist it
in grasping It's prey Being carnivurpus
in its habits there IL every reason for sup
posing that II would devour man il such
victim were to happen into its clutch
Accounts are given of it, assailing divers,
swooping upon them from above. 50 that
the unfortunate beholds living cloud set
tling over him with eager jaws to gobble,
-vhile helDlpca In ecpaua the horrible EN-