278 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



spine the tail tapers off to a very fine extremity, it has a narrow skinny margin which commences 

 from opposite its spine but does not extend so far as to the extremity of the caudal. 



Scales — i n the very young — with a disk of six inches across — there are two or three rows of 

 widely separated oval scales on either side of the head, internal to the eyes, and meeting on the 

 occiput, from thence towards the scapular is a single row of larger and more widely separated 

 ones. In the centre of the back three large closely approximating scales, the centre one heart- 

 shaped, the anterior round, and the posterior almost heart-shaped. In some specimens of a large 

 size, there are also numerous distant thorns on the tail which disappear with age. 



In specimens with a disk of three feet across, the head, back, and sides are covered with 

 smooth, roundish scales, with smaller ones intermediate. 



Colours — Vary according to age : up to the period when the breadth of the disk is about 

 nine inches, the body is of a yellowish brown darkest along the back, and the abdomen white : 

 a short distance beyond the commencement of the tail it is irregularly annulated with alternate 

 narrow light brown, and broad or narrow dark brown rings. 



As its age increases black spots commonly appear on the body, and when it has attained the 

 width of three feet across its disk it is light brown or greyish olive, covered with fighter and in 

 some almost white spots, whilst the anterior extremity of the tail also shows the remains of the 

 rings. 



The adult is uniformly brownish or greenish olive. Iris golden. 



Grows to a very large size : the immature are frequently captured in the backwaters, and 

 wounds from their caudal spines are much dreaded. In one instance an old man was admitted 

 the Civil Hospital in Cochin for mortification of the arm, due to a wound inflicted by one of these 

 fish, which he attempted to drag out of the sea into a boat : it wound its tail round his arm, 

 and dragged its spine through the muscles down nearly to the bone. 



Habitat — Eed Sea, Seas and estuaries of India, Malaysia, China, and the Cape of Good Hope. 



Genus PTEROPLATEA, Mull. & Henle. 



Dasyatis, Eafin. 



Disk is almost or more than twice as broad as long. Tail short, generally shorter than the body, 

 and either with low fins or naked. Mouth slightly arched. The teeth do not extend so far as the angle 

 of the mouth ; they have from one to three points. The upper membraneous valve of the jaw is indistinct, 

 and without a fringe. There are no papillae in the lower jaw. The skin is smooth or covered with tubercles. 

 Often a slight papilla at the posterior border of the spiracles. 



Pteroplatea micruea. 



Rajah miceura, Bl. Schn. p. 360. 



Tenkee kunsul, Russell, pi. 6. 



Pteeoplatea miceuea, Cantor, Catal. p. 427 ; Dumeril, Ich. g£n. p. 613. 



Dasyatis miceuea, Gray, Catal. Brit. Mus. p. 122. 



