In spite of the good man’s earnest warnings to have nothing to do with
so venomous a creature, we must contrive to take possession of it for
study at home; and by the aid of our hand-net we find no difficulty
in lifting it and transferring it, an unwilling guest, to a glass jar
of sea-water. We now discern it more fully and distinctly; though it
manifests its indignation at this tyrannical suspension of the _Habeas
Corpus_ Act, by flouncing around the glass, and scattering the water
hither and thither. This wrath, however, gradually subsides, and our
captive philosophically makes up his mind to his fate.
It is the Lesser Weever;[58] a name corrupted from the French, who call
it Vive, from the length of time which the fish will _live_ out of its
native element. It also bears the names of sting-fish, sting-bull, and
sea-cat, among English fishermen; on the shores of the Mediterranean it
bears the title of spider, and the ancient Romans called it sea-dragon.
The specific names,--_vipera_ and _draco_, viper and dragon--which are
appropriated to this species and another which is nearly allied to it,
make up an extensive list of aliases, all combining to give this pretty
little fish a thoroughly bad reputation. All these titles point to a
habit and a power possessed by it of inflicting severe wounds, which
without doubt are of a highly inflammatory character, and are slow and
difficult to cure. These are effected by the rays of the first dorsal
fin, which, as we have just seen, are erected and spread in a way
which indicates a perfect consciousness of their power, and by certain
spines, long and acute, set on the gill-covers, one on each, pointing
backward. These all are of needle-like sharpness, and are wielded most
effectively. Yarrell tells us that if trod upon, or only touched, while
on the watch, nearly buried in the sand at the bottom of the water, it
strikes with force either upwards or sideways; and Pennant says that
he had seen it direct its blows with as much judgment as a fighting
cock. Fishermen hold it in great dread; and the name of sting-bull is
said to be due to its power of piercing even the proverbial thickness
of a bull’s hide.
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