342 THE PLAGIOSTOMIA. 



nearly one fifth of their distance from the end of the snout. Spiracles as large 

 as the eyes. Mouth large, width more than half the length of the snout. Teeth 

 flat in females, sharper in males, in H^| rows. Upper surface smoother than 

 on most skates ; a narrow belt of small spines extends along the anterior margins, 

 areas of larger ones appear on the top of the snout, between and in front of the 

 eyes and between and behind the spiracles, and scattered small spines occur here 

 and there over shoulders and back. A more or less complete series of small 

 tubercles with sharp compressed cusps stands above the vertebrae from the 

 hinder part of the back to the dorsals, one or two usually appearing between 

 the latter fins. At each side of the tail immediately above the lateral fold there 

 is a series of tubercles extending to a point opposite the second dorsal. Very 

 small spines occur between the rows on the tail and forward. Those on the end 

 of the snout are directed up and forward. Males have several to five or six 

 rows of tenacula in the band near the outer angles of the pectorals, and the 

 ventral claspers are comparatively slender and pointed, more like those of R. 

 diaphancs and R. erinacea than those of R. eglanteria or R. scabrata. 



Brownish to reddish brown, with small scattered unequal spots of dark, 

 smaller than the eye to very small. Lower surface lighter to white, darker 

 forward, profusely dotted with black in the openings of the tubes. The black 

 specks form series of seven or more at each side of the middle of the forward 

 part of the abdomen and of about twenty at the forward edge of each outer 

 extremity of the pelvis. 



The "Barndoor" skate is very common off the New England Coast; it 

 attains a length of six feet or more. The species is a close ally of R. batis of 

 Europe but is readily distinguished by the small number and larger size of the 

 teeth. This is the Raia laevis of Mitchill, 1817, but is not R. laevis of Gronow, 

 1763, of Valmont, 1765, and of Duhamel, 1782. 



A male from Cohasset, Mass., Dr. H. B. Bigelow, measures in total length 

 58, tail from vent 27, and greatest width of disk 42 inches; the portion of the 

 clasper free from the ventral fin measured 12g inches; the teeth were in || rows. 



Raia granulata. 



Raia granulata (Gill) Goode and Bean, 1879, Bull. Essex inst., 11, p. 28; 1896, Mem. M. C. Z., 22, p. 

 29, f. 30; Jordan, 1887, Cat. fish. N. Amer., p. 11 ; Gunth., 1887, Challenger rept. Zool., 22, p, 10. 

 Raia laevis Jord. & Everm., 1896, Bull. 47, U. S. nat. mus., p. 71. 



" A remarkable species with back and ventral surface covered with minute 

 sharp granular ossifications, obtained by Capt. Joseph W. Collins on Le Have 



