Dr. Bancroft on the Sea- Devil of Jamaica. 453 



front. The mouth placed beneath, measuring about 15 inches in width^ 

 The back slightly elevated into a somewhat pyramidal form. The dor- 

 sal fin of a lengthened shape, and the tail unarmed, besides which it is 

 stated to have obtuse teeth. To these observations I may add, that I 

 compared Shaw's figures of Raia Giorna, Raia Banksiana, and Raia 

 Fabroniana, with our fish while fresh on the wharf, and that every one 

 was struck with the dissimilarity between them. Such differences in the 

 respective characters of the several fishes as those just adduced, tend ne- 

 cessarily to the conclusion, that our fish is of a distinct species, not 

 hitherto described, and it consequently becomes requisite to point out 

 the specific characters by which it is to be distinguished from all others. 

 A sense of duty prompts me accordingly to propose such characters, but 

 aware how scanty the information is which I here possess concerning the 

 family of Rays generally, and more especially concerning the Cephalop- 

 terous division of it, it is only with great diffidence that I offer those 

 which follow, prefixing to them the word Manta as the specific name of 

 the fish, for reasons which will immediately be submitted. 



Cephalopterus Manta,* subrhomboldeus, laevis, pice us, pinnis 

 acut^ elongatis nigro-sjriseis ; subtus albus macuiis plumbeis ; cauda cor- 

 pore paullo breviori, basin versus aculeo triangulari instructa, sub-qua- 

 drangulari, gracillima. 



Cephalopterus Manta, subrhomboid, smooth, blackish ; fins acutely 

 elongated, dark grey; white beneath, with lead-coloured spots ; tail rather 

 shorter than the body, armed with a triangular spine near the root, sub- 

 quadrangular, very slender. 



There is one interesting but obscure point in the history of the class 

 of fishes which the examination that has recently been made of the sub- 

 ject of this paper will assist in clearing up ; I allude to the destruction 

 which is stated in Anson's Voyage, by Don Antonio De Ulloa (at page 

 130 of Volume I. of his Voyage to South America), to be caused among 



* Although we have not ventured to make any alterations in the above Paper, 

 we apprehend that the name here. given must be regarded as synonymous with 

 the Ceph. Giorna of Le Sueur (Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil. iv. 100.) with the 

 description and figure of which the present species corresponds in almost every 

 particular. That also is known as the Devil-fish by the Americans, and is de- 

 scribed under that name by Cateshy, -Ed. 



