The Spotted Eagle Ray. 245 



Sloane (1725), who first notes them, thinks refer to Narinari, and it is certain 

 that they refer to the jaw structures of a MyHobatid, or mill-toothed ray. 



In 1638, in the capacity of astronomer and naturahst, George Marcgrave 

 accompanied the Dutch expedition to Brazil under the leadership of Maurice 

 of Nassau, who was governor-general of the Dutch conquests in that country 

 from 1637 to 1644. Marcgrave remained in Brazil and northeastern South 

 America for several years. With him went William Piso, who was physician 

 to Count Maurice. While these two men accompanied the expedition in 

 their professional capacities as physician and astronomer, it is certain that 

 as naturalists they had the active aid and cooperation of Count Maurice, 

 as will be indicated later. 



Piso's scientific work on this expedition was done wholly from a medical 

 standpoint and is embraced in four books, comprising 132 pages with 104 

 figures, and bearing the title "De Medicina Brasiliensi." Marcgrave's 

 natural history work is embodied in eight books covering 303 pages, illus- 

 trated by 429 figures, and entitled "Historise Rerum Naturalium Brasilise." 

 Books I, II, and iii treat of plants, book iv of fishes, v of birds, vi of 

 quadrupeds and serpents, vii of insects, viii of the land and its inhabitants, 

 and finally there is an appendix on the Tapuyis and Chilians. 



The joint work of Marcgrave and Piso, edited by de Laet, was published 

 in folio at Leyden and Amsterdam in 1648, under the title "Historia 

 Naturalis Brasiliae." Although Marcgrave's part of this work is more than 

 twice as great as Fiso's, he being dead, Piso's contribution fills the first part 

 of the volume and on the title page Piso's name precedes that of Marcgrave. 



That part of Marcgrave's work dealing with the fishes of Brazil is the 

 first study ever made of the fish fauna of a region outside of the Mediterra- 

 nean Sea. He describes 105 species and gives spirited figures of 86 of them, 

 all new to science. To book iv of Marcgrave's " Natural History of Brazil," 

 the student of American ichthyology must go back for the original descrip- 

 tions and figures of a large number of our fishes. So the present writer 

 has done for the spotted sting ray and the toadfish studied by him. This 

 "Natural History of Brazil," at the time of its publication, was by far the 

 most scientific and comprehensive work of its kind given to the world and it 

 was more than a hundred years before a work of equal importance appeared. 

 Too much praise can not be given Marcgrave and his patron and friend, 

 Prince Maurice, for what even in our day would be a great undertaking. 



The Royal Library of Berlin contains two collections of paintings, in 

 folio, of the natural history objects of Brazil. These paintings number 

 1,460 in all. The larger collection is in oils and bears title as follows 

 "Theatri rerum naturalium Brasiliae. (Icones in 4 Banden), Libri Pic-- 

 turati A 32-35." The smaller collection is in water colors and is entitled 

 " Brasilianische Naturgegenstande (Collectio rerum naturalium Brasiliae in 

 2 Banden). Libri picturati A 36-37." In the present writer's biographical 

 sketch of Marcgrave (Gudger, 1912) it is clearly proved that the water-color 

 figures, from which Marcgrave's " Natural History of Brazil " was illustrated, 

 17 



