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the expanded wings of a bird, whence its name is taken. 

 It is deep brown above, rather lighter on the edges, the belly 

 grayish white. 



This fish is sometimes found weighing 800 pounds, and is 

 therefore among the most formidable of these fish. It has 

 been most commonly observed in the Mediterranean sea, 

 though by no means confined to it. 



The flesh of this ray, and its congeners, is very coarse 

 food, but the liver is much prized as an eatable, and supplies 

 a considerable quantity of oil. The sting on the tail of this 

 animal, and its congeners, is an extremely formidable weapon. 

 It appears like the horns of the stag to be deciduous annually, 

 and to be replaced by a successor. 



A third subgenus of rays with a barb to the tail, is that 

 of Cephalopterus which also includes many species, but 

 this has the very extraordinary addition of two extensions of 

 the pectoral fin, one on each side of the head, forming horn- 

 like processes or appendages, which seem to serve the animal 

 in swimming. These animals are inhabitants of deep waters. 

 There are several species. 



Risso has described the Cephalopterus Massena, which has 

 the edge of the fin bent down, and the top of the horn-like 

 appendices black, while at the base, they are bluish without, 

 and silvery within. The tail is furnished with three ranges 

 of asperities, the body is black, brown above, silvery on the 

 sides, and white underneath. Risso's specimen was twelve 

 feet long, and twenty-seven in circumference. It was taken 

 in the Mediterranean with its mate. The female, which was 

 caught first, weighed 1250 pounds, the male scarcely 800. 

 The former was alive when got into the boat, and made a 

 very melancholy noise in consequence of the end of the tail 

 having been inserted into the gills. The male specimen was 

 seen constantly about the boat for three days after its mate 

 was taken, and was subsequently found dead. 



