SANDY RAY. 575 



work, Mr. Couch has given a figure and description of a 

 species of Ray, which he hopes will be sufficient to prove 

 that it cannot be confounded with any other Ray recognised 

 as British ; " but whether," says Mr. Couch, " it can be re- 

 ferred to any species described by other authors, I am not 

 able to specify, except that I have with some degree of 

 hesitation, supposed it to be possibly the Raia asterias of 

 Ray, Syn. Pise. p. 27. 



" I cannot, however, persuade myself but that this species 

 has been described by some authors, to whose writings I 

 have no opportunity of obtaining access ; I therefore refrain 

 from assigning to it a trivial name, that I may be in no 

 danger of adding to science a useless synonym e. Its English 

 name of Sandy Ray will be sufficient as a provisional de- 

 signation." 



The close accordance of the figure and description of this 

 fish given by Mr. Couch, to the figure and descriptions of the 

 Raia radula of the authors here quoted, leaves little room to 

 doubt but that they refer to the same species, and I include 

 the fish, therefore, as here given, on Mr. Couch's authority. 

 The figure in the Fauna Italica represents a female of our 

 Sandy Ray, with the cluster of central dorsal spines, and the 

 particular form of the ventral or pelvic fins, with other cha- 

 racteristics. 



" It bears but a distant resemblance to the Raia maculata, 

 or Homelyn," Mr. Couch observes, " either in appearance or 

 value ; for while the Homelyn is esteemed as food, either 

 fresh or salted, this is thought worthy only to bait the crab- 

 pot, or, just as frequently, to be thrown aside for manure. 

 It is of frequent occurrence in moderately deep water, from 

 spring to the end of autumn. In winter, however, it is not 

 often seen, chiefly, perhaps, because at that season the boats 

 do not venture quite so far from land ; but, perhaps, also, 

 from the fish having changed its quarters. It seems to be 



