98 



BURTON SKATE. 



payment is defeated when the fish, instead of being caught by 

 themselves, are purchased from foreign fishermen. The French 

 Government has more than once sent a ship to England for 

 the purpose of detecting the offenders. 



This is the largest of the British Hays. For, whilst its 

 measurement is often equal to that of the largest Common 

 Skate, its greater thickness causes it to be of heavier bulk. 

 The snout protrudes considerably; and the borders of it pass 

 backward in a slightly diverging form for three or four inches. 

 The outline of the anterior border of the disk thus becomes 

 more curved than in the generality of this family; since an 

 expansion takes place again nearly opposite the eyes, with a 

 second contraction before it spreads out to the full extent of 

 the pectoral fins. The widest portion is behind the centre. 

 Mouth considerably removed from the snout, armed with stout 

 sharp teeth; nostrils lobed. The eyes distant from the snovit; 

 spiracles large, and close behind the eyes. The tail depressed; 

 having two fins near each other, and close to its end. Behind 

 the eyes are stout spines; and at the border of the disk opposite 

 the eyes a row of crooked spines, the points directed backward. 

 A large longitudinal bed near the extremities of the pectorals; 

 three rows on the tail, that which runs along the middle passing 

 to some distance up the back; none of them placed close to 

 each other. On the under surface a row of crooked spines at 

 the border a little before the mouth. On a female I only find 

 the spines behind the eyes, and on the tail. Colour ash or 

 grey, with faint spots above; below white. Its claspers are 

 proportionally longer and stouter than in most of the British 

 species of Skates or Rays. 



Inside view of Jaws of Thornback Ray. 



