RAIID^E. 3-17 



increasing in strength posteriorly and forming a single row of sharp spines along 

 the centre of the tail: some specimens have likewise a row on either side. 

 Colours the upper surface light gray or greenish-gray : two or three white lines 

 pass from near the eye circularly to near the angle of the pectoral fins, with their 

 convexity inwards, the shortest line being nearest the border. On the hind edge 

 of the pectorals are two or three similar lines which pass from behind the angle 

 circularly to the neighbourhood of the abdominal fins, the convexity also being 

 inwards. Within these segments are several brown spots and white streaks or 

 spots. Large ones are said to be of an uniform gray. The under part of the 

 body white. 



Habits. A moderately deep sea form, extending its range inshore, but not 

 generally frequenting such shallow and sandy spots as the Homelyn. 



Habitat. From the southern shores of England to the coasts of France. Mr. 

 Cornish says this form, or " the owl " as it is locally termed, is abundant in some 

 places, as off Pra-sand in Mount's Bay, where they are quite three-fourths of the 

 rays captured and are held in high esteem as food. 



Mr. Dunn informs me that they were plentiful last summer (1883) at 

 Mevagissey, and sent me the specimen figured on May 16th, 1884, which had 

 been taken in a trammel : it is a female, 18 inches long and 12 inches across 

 the disk. Couch states he obtained an example 33^ inches long, and saw several 

 others during the month of April. 



9. Raia radiata, Plate CLXXIII. 



Raja fullonica, Fabr. Faun. Green, p. 125 ; Faber, Fisch. Isl. p. 38. Rough 

 ray, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 85. 



Raja clavata, Hollb. Goth. Vet. N. Handl. iv, p. 29. 



Raia radiata, Donovan, Brit. Fish, v, pi. cxiv ; Fleming, Brit. An. p. 170 

 Yarrell, Brit. Fishes (ed. 1) ii, p. 439, c fig. (ed. 2) ii, p. 585 (ed. 3) ii, p. 587 

 Johnston, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1883, vi, and Berwick. N. H. F. Club, 1838, i, p. 176 

 Parnell, Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin. 1840, p. 145, and Wern. Mem. vii, p. 439 

 pi. xliii ; Jenyns, Man. p. 517 ; Fries. Vet. Ak. Handl. 1839, p. 146, pi. iii, f. 4 

 Nilss. Skan. Faun, iv, p. 736 ; Wright and Eks. Skand. Fisk. p. 100, pi. xliii 

 McCoy, An. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1841, vi, p. 405 ; Mull, and Henle, p. 137 

 Kroyer, Danm. Fisk. iii, p. 938, c fig. ; White, Catal. p. 137 ; Collett, Norges 

 Fiske, p. 214; Dumeril, Ich. i, p. 531, pi. xii, f. 15 (spines) ; Giinther, Catal. viii, 

 p. 460 ; Moreau, Poiss. de la France, i, p. 394 ; Winther, Prod. Dan. Mar. p. 60 ; 

 Giglioli, Cat. Pesc. Ital. p. 54. 



Dasi/batis radiata, Ch. Bonap. Catal. no. 13. 



Amblyraja radiata, Malm, Fauna, p. 607. 



Starry ray, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, i, p. 103, pi. xxiii. 



Of a somewhat regular rhomboidal shape, and an obtuse angle at the end of 

 the snout. Disk, one-fourth wider than long, and its anterior edge one-third 

 longer than the posterior, while the angles are rounded. Eyes of medium size, 

 about three diameters from the end of the snout, while their length equals about 

 two-thirds the width of the interorbital space. Spiracles smaller than the eye 

 and situated a short distance behind them. Teeth in about 40 or 45 rows 

 of pointed ones in either jaw. The length of the tail does not equal that of 

 the disk. In adult males the claspers are half as long as the tail. Skin body 

 and tail armed with large thorny spines, each with a stellated or radiated base, 

 but not placed upon a button-shaped one ; these spines are curved backwards. 

 A large row of rather distantly separated ones passes along the middle of the back 

 and tail, and to the end of the disk ; it has a smaller but similar row on either 

 side. A strong one at the anterior and superior angle of each eye ; two smaller 

 ones over the hind edge of the orbit and spiracle ; a pair of large ones on either 

 shoulder. Most of the disk and snout with similar but smaller spines, which are 

 not so developed in the female as they are in the male, the latter when adult has 

 likewise some claw-like spines above the outer angle of the pectoral fin. Colours 

 of a pale sandy brown. 



Varieties. McCoy (Annals and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1841, vi, p. 405) observes 



