IS RAIA RADULA A GOOD SPECIES ? 221 



to point out that R. circularis of Day is the Homelyn Ray 

 Home, Sandy, and Spotted Rays of Yarrell ; while it 

 is the Cuckoo Ray of Couch, with the scientific name of 

 miraletus. Nor are the figures given of the species to be 

 regarded as more satisfactory. No two of them are alike, 

 nor are they in form like the fish they are intended to 

 represent. Day's figure of R. circularis would pass for 

 R. radula, but it is in no way like the true circularis. Couch's 

 uncoloured figure of circularis, which he names the Cuckoo 

 Ray, is good so far as form goes ; but the spinulation is not 

 correct. Besides, he describes the figure as being that of a 

 male ; if it is so, he has omitted to show the claspers. 

 The coloured figure of his Cuckoo Ray is not the proper 

 shape, as may be seen by comparing it with the uncoloured 

 one at p. i 1 4, vol. i. 



Yarrell's figure of circularis, which he designates the 

 Homelyn Ray, is, so far as form goes, the most correct of 

 the lot ; but he shows nothing of the spinulation on the 



" wings." 



The latter author's figure and description of R. radula, 

 as given in his supplement to " British Fishes," published in 

 1839, p. 19, is merely a reproduction of that given by 

 Couch in the " Magazine of Nat. Hist." New Series, vol. xi., 

 and is intended for a female, but is in outline more nearly 

 that of a male, the anterior edges of the female being rounded 

 instead of being hollowed out as his figure represents it. 



Beneath the figure Mr. Yarrell has appended the follow- 

 ing names : 



Raia radula, Delar, " Mem. Poiss. Ivic." in " An. Must. Hist. Nat." 



t. xiii. p. 321. 



Rate rape, Risso, "Hist." t. iii. p. 151, sp. 38. 



ratissoire, Blainv., "Faun. Franc." p. 25. 



Razza scuffina, C. L. Bonap, " Faun. Ital." pt. xiii. 



,, The Sandy Ray, Couch, " Mag. Nat. Hist." vol. xi. 

 p. 71. 



He further remarks : " The close accordance of the 

 figure and description of this fish by Mr. Couch to the figure 

 and descriptions of Raia radula of the authors here quoted 

 leaves little room to doubt but that they refer to the same 



