[1892. NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 237 



tail. It has its dorsal fins transferred to its belly, where, on account 

 of its shape, they will be more useful, and its helhj (ventral and 

 pectoral [?]) fins near the head. It has two fins near (or on) its 

 tail. For two fins it uses its flat edges. The vfifr/.r, benumbing 

 (yapxav izoiouaa) the fishes which it intends to catch, taking them 

 into its mouth in the way which it has, feeds on these. It buries 

 itself in the sand and mud and captures the fishes swimming up 

 to it, which it stuns {'^afr/.wj -oiet). A proof that they live in this 

 way is that they are often caught having in them the •/.sfrrpeo^, one 

 of the swiftest of fishes, the >dpxrj itself being one of the slowest. 

 Some persons have been eye witnesses of their mode of capturing 

 their prey. It is well known that they stun people also. It hunts 

 little fishes for its food, catching them by rendering them numb 

 Q/apyjh") and unable to move. The •^dpxrj and pr^r^ spawn a little 

 before the autumnal equinox. They take their young into them- 

 selves (their mouths) and let them out again. A large vdpxrj has 

 been seen with about 80 young in it. 



Aristotle frequently mentions it in close connection with rpuycuv, 

 l^d-o^ and pii'r/, implying that they belong to the same general class. 



See also Athen. vii, 95, where the same facts with regard to its 

 stunning power are repeated. Theophrastus says it can send a shock 

 even up through a fish-spear to a man's hand. 



Family RAJIDJE. 



22. Raja clavata (L). 

 Apost. 8. 



23. Raja batis (L). 



Apost. 8 {Raia batis), iSart. Hart r= fiar{(^o'^) is the natural M. G. 

 equivalent for A. G. [id-i>^. 



24. Raja punctata H., /Sarof (J. 

 Apost. 8 (Rata punctata). 



The fidro^ is repeatedly mentioned in Aristotle. 4&9b 6, 489b 

 31, 505a 4, 540b 8, 565b 28, 566a 28 32, 599b 29, 620b 30, 695b 

 28, 696a 25, 697a 6, 709b 17, 746b 6. 



According to Aristotle the [idroi form one division of the (rskdy-q, 

 are flat, have a tail (^xipxa^ = tail like that of a quadruped. 

 The word xipxo? is not applied to the tail of a fish, such as a sunfish, 

 etc.) ; they have uncovered gills (no opercula), have no scales, but a 

 rough skin ; they have no fins but " swim by means of their flat- 

 ness itself," or, as is said in another j)lace, by means of the outer 



