592 RAI1D.E. 



the sea off that coast, but threw away the body. It was above 

 three feet long, entirely covered with hard obtuse tubercles, 

 extremely slender and taper, and destitute of a fin at the 

 end. The tail of a fish received from Sicily, and believed 

 to have been taken from a specimen of the Eagle Ray, which 

 is not uncommon in some parts of the Mediterranean, cor- 

 responded with the description given by Mr. Travis. 



On this authority the Eagle Ray was admitted into the 

 first edition of the History of British Fishes, in the hope that 

 observers on the coast would be induced to record any new 

 occurrence that might come under their notice. Aware of 

 this, says Dr. George Johnston, in the Proceedings of the 

 Berwickshire Naturalists 1 Club, for September 1839, " it 

 was, with no ordinary delight, that I received a perfect spe- 

 cimen of the Raia aquila on Wednesday last, September 

 llth, which had been found that morning on the shore of 

 our bay (Berwick) near Spittal. It was quite fresh, and in 

 fine preservation ; and proves, as I think, that the conjecture 

 of Mr. Travis's fish being the aquila is perfectly correct. 

 There is, at all events, now no doubt that this species is a 

 native of our seas." 



The following is Dr. Johnston's description of his spe- 

 cimen. " Body rhomboidal, expanded laterally, flat, thick - 

 ish, and raised in the middle, which gradually passes into 

 the thin sides or fins, of a uniform dusky olive green colour, 

 smooth and even. Head depressed, with a square vertex, or 

 we may compare it to the figure of a horse's hoof, having an 

 oblong space in the centre that represents the hollow part of 

 the hoof ; the front suddenly lowered, round and entire. Eyes 

 lateral, wide apart, roundish, dark grey, overhung by a bony 

 ridge. Behind them there is a large elliptical hole leading 

 to the gills. There is a series of punctures on each side of 

 the head, becoming most distinct and visible on the occiput. 

 Each fin forms a wide triangle, with entire plain margins. 



