150 Gudgei — 2Votes on Some Beaufort, X. 0. , Fishes. 



During 1910 the writer noticed for the first time that the clampers of 

 both the sting and butterfly rays have a kind of knuckle joint at the basal 

 end and that they can be rotated on this joint until they point inward and 

 forward, thus enabling the rays to lie belly to belly, heads forward, while 

 in copulation. Further it was noticed that in the female genital opening 

 there are two little pockets placed laterally, in which the claspers are 

 evidently received. Later it was found that Agassiz ( 1871 ) had expressed 

 the same idea some 40 years ago. 



For some unknown reason comparatively few butterfly rays were taken 

 at Beaufort by the fishermen during the writer's stay in the summer of 

 1911. The laboratory seining crew made a number of trips especially for 

 them, but only one of breeding age was taken. This had both uteri en- 

 larged and each contained an egg with a selachian embryo. Each egg 

 was enclosed in a thin transparent yellowish shell with chalaza-like 

 twisted terminals as reported in 1909. Curiously enough the end of each 

 shell at the posterior part of the embryo was much larger and more 

 noticeable. 



Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen). 



SPOTTED STING RAY. 



Three perfect specimens were obtained in 1910 and two of them studied 

 while alive. On June 30, while up Newport River, two fishermen* caught 

 and kindly gave ine a specimen which measured: length of body to end 

 of ventrals, 1!) inches; tail only 33 inches; all over 41) inches; width 

 over pectorals 28% inches, between eyes 4 inches, between spiracles 

 2% inches (both inside measurements); projection of snout from a line 

 joining anterior roots of pectorals, this being also a line joining the an- 

 terior edges of the spiracles, 4 inches. This fish weighed 11% pounds 

 and had two spines, the anterior equal to the length of the base of the 

 dorsal tin, the posterior only half so long. 



When alive it had for its ground color a dark chestnut brown with 

 spots of a rich yellow cream. The spots on the head were smaller than 

 elsewhere, and in the posterior region showed a tendency to run together. 

 In life no hands, as shown in Jordan and Evermann's figure, f could be 

 found, but after death they showed up faintly and the spots showed a 

 tendency to become white. "Where the skin was exposed to the sun it 

 turned a rich velvety black, the epidermis then peeled oft', leaving the 

 ground color brown, and the spots turned blue. 



The two other rays of this species were taken in the channel connect- 

 ing the inner and outer harbors at Beaufort on July 4 and 7, 1910, and 

 were presented to the writer by Messrs. Charles, John, and William 

 Wheatley of Beaufort, to whom he is also indebted for specimens of 

 other fishes. 



The smaller of the two, a fine specimen, measured: length 18% inches, 

 tail only 39% inches, all over 54J£ inches; width 27% inches, between 

 eyes ?,% inches, spiracles 2% inches (inside measurements); length of 



* Henry Congleton and John Harrell of Beaufort. 



i Fishes of North and Middle America, Vol. IV, plate 15. 



