DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 27 



slender poiut. At present it seems likely that these young skates represent a variety of B. 

 acldeyi. Whether they are more distinct can only be determined by comjiarison of young 

 and adults of each." [Giirmnn.) 



An individual obtained by the Alhatroxs at station 2377, February 11, 1885, believed to be 

 of this .species, was colored as follows: Puncticulate with brown on tlie dor.sal .surface, and 

 with a few scattered larger blotches of the same. The ground color is a grayish brown, 

 quite pale. 



KAIA I'lA'TONIA. Gap.max. (Figure 2(i.) 



Eajuplatunia, Garman, Bull. Mus Comp. Zo.il., Vol. viii, No. 11, 1881, 236.— Goiidk ami Bea.n, .^7. ri/.— (JiiN- 

 THEH, Challenger Report, xxii. 10. 



'Disk, including ventrals, Inoader thaa long, subquadrangular, broadly rounded in 

 front and on the lateral angles; snout forming a very blunt angle; margin opposite the gill 

 openings nearly straight. Tail about one and one-half times tiie length of the disk, slender, 

 depressed, with a cutaneous fold on each side near the extremity. Rostral cartilage short, 

 not extending to the end of tlie snout. Mouth moderate, .slightly curved, widtli equaling 

 the distance between the outer angles of the nostrils, and contained twice in its distance 

 from the end of the snout. Teeth about thirty-two series (a young specimen). Eyes large, 

 longitudinal diameter of orbit greater than their distance apart. Interorbital space con- 

 cave, narrow; width rather more than two and one half times in the distance of the eyes 

 from the end of the snout. Spiracles small. Anterior nasal valve tubular; posterior reach- 

 ing the mouth, free on its outer margin. Hinder extremity of pectoral broad, rounded. 

 Ventrals deeply notched, anterior i)ortion narrow, extending farther from the middle of the 

 pelvis than the posterior. * * * 



" Back and tail covered with small, closely set, stellate based scales, which bear elon- 

 gate, slender, compressed, l)ackward directed points. Larger spines form a superorbital 

 row, and a single one stands on each side of the back of the head. The largest on the 

 body form a close vertebral series on back and tail. On each side of the shoulder girdle 

 there is an irregular series of five, and a short distance in front of each of these stands one 

 or a pair. On each side of the tail there are two series, little smaller than those of the 

 medial row. Smooth below. Very small specimens have not so many spines. 



"Brown, grayish in small to purplish in the largest specimens at hand, with mcn-e or 

 less irregular transverse series of distinctly defined spots of brown, often confluent into 

 sliort bands, interspersed among which are spots of white of varying size and slia]ies. 

 Tail with cross bauds of light and of dark. Dorsals dark. Entire lower surface white." 

 {Garman.) 



This species was obtained during the cruise of the Unitetl States steamer Blake, in 

 from 229 to 333 fathoms, ott' the coast of Florida, in lat. 32° N., Ion. 78° (stations 31(1, 317, 

 321). 



In the speciiuen.»( described by Garman the rostral cartilage was undeveloped, and he 

 l)roposed tentatively the subgenus Malacorhiinis for their reception. 



S))ecimens were obtained from the following stations: cccxvii, lat. 31° 57', Ion. 78° 

 18' .3.5", 333 fathoms, 1; CCCXVI, lat. 32° 7', Ion. 78° 37' 30", 229 fathoms, 5; CCCXXi, lat. 

 32° •i3' 25", Ion. 77° 20' 30", 233 fathoms, 1. 



RAIA CIRCULARIS, Couch. (Figure 25.) 



Uaja circiilaris, CoucH, Charleswortli'8 Mag. Nat. Hi.st., 1838, ii, 71; Corni.-ih F.auu., p. .53; Fish. Brit. lal., 

 i, 115, pi. 28.— GfXTHKU, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., viii, 462; Challenger Report, x.xii, 8.— Day, Fish. G. B. 

 and Ireland. 11, 348, pi. CLXXiv. 



'' Angles formed by tlic maigin of the snout obtuse, the extremity slightly jirojecting. 

 The width of the interorbital sjjacc^ e(|ual to the length of the orbit. Teeth pointed, in from 

 70 to 80 series in the upjier Jaw. Outer jiectoral angle obtusely roundeil. Upper part of 

 Mie body covered with minute asperities; a .series of spines all ahing the sui)erciliary ridge; 

 (( triangular upacc in the middle of the haelc eorered with similar npines; median line of the 



