238 HORNED EAY, OR MANTA FISH. 



colour was a magnificent bronze green, and it measured 

 from the eyes to the tip of the tail three feet ten inches, 

 the tail measuring two feet four inches. The tail re- 

 sembled a rat's, and was about the same thickness, and 

 when dry resembled one of those penny gutta-percha 

 whips sold in the London streets. This specimen is 

 now in the Exeter Museum. 



In December, 1867, my friend H. Lee obtained an 

 egg of the eagle ray from Margate. He writes : — 



"When first brought to me, wet from the sea, the 

 purse or sac which had contained the embryo measured 

 eight inches in length by five inches in width, and the 

 length of the long tendrils, which are flat and thin, was 

 lOin." The eggs of the eagle ray differ much from 

 those of the skate, which, under the name of "Devil's 

 purses," are known amongst the common objects of the 

 sea-shore. Mr. Couch describes its surface as being 

 " curious and beautiful, thickly set with raised longitu- 

 dinal lines, closely crossed with dots or raised lines, 

 each longitudinal line being thickly studded with raised 

 markings, points, or short lines, which, however, do 

 not pass from one line to another, although they appear 

 to sink into the minute channel between them." This 

 description, however, only applies to the middle of the 

 case ; for towards the ends and sides the longitudinal 

 lines are joined in this manner, and the reticulations 

 form beautiful squares, which grow finer towards the 

 border, and disappear at the margin. Colour, approach- 

 ing to black. 



Of the Horned Kay or Manta Fish, a single specimen 

 was found in 1835 on the southern coast of Ireland. 

 This species belongs to a genus {Cephaloptera) which 

 differs most conspicuously from the other spiny- tailed 

 rays in the form of the head, which is cut short in 



