Description of a new British Ray. 73 



confounding it with the present species, to which it bears but 

 a distant resemblance, either in appearance or value; for while 

 the homlyn is esteemed as food, either fresh or salted, this is 

 thought worthy only to bait the crab-pot, or, just as frequent- 

 ly, to be thrown aside for manure. It was by an oversight 

 that this fish was not included in Mr. Yarrell's History of 

 British Fishes ; for 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. 



I cannot persuade myself but that this species has been de- 

 scribed by some author, to whose writings I have no oppor- 

 tunity 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 synonyme. Its English name of " Sandy 

 Ray" will be sufficient as a provisional designation. 



While on the subject of British Rays, I have great pleasure 

 in being able to add something to what is already known, re- 

 specting another species of which only three specimens, and 

 those females, have been recorded. Since my account of the 

 only specimen of the painted ray I had then seen, (Yarrell's Br. 

 F. vol. ii. p. 433), was communicated to my friend, Mr. Yarrell, 

 a full grown male has come into my possession : having been 

 caught on the 21st of April, — a date I mention the rather, as 

 the former specimen having been caught in January, it points 

 out the period in which it visits our coast. The form of the 

 body was similar to that given in the British Fishes, with the 

 addition of the prehensile organs, and a more formidable ar- 

 mature near the eyes and on the back, common to most spe- 

 cies of ray ; but the colours were even far more beautiful and 

 varied, and perhaps will be found to differ in different indivi- 

 duals. The ground was a brilliant yellow, on which were 

 numerous beautiful lyre-shaped gyrations, each side exactly 

 answering to the other. These gyrations were formed of a 

 dark line, margined on each side with a contiguous series of 

 pale yellow spots, like beads, as if laid on by the hand of a 

 very fantastic artist. Both the species of Ray which form the 

 subjects of this paper, were taken with the ordinary line and 

 bait of the fishermen ; and the first named seems to be an in- 

 discriminate feeder, living on small fishes, and different kinds 

 of Crustacea. 



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