RAJIDAE 29 



Disc broader than long, its width \ or rather more than -J of the total length ; anterior 

 margins more or less evenly curved in females, notched in males ; outer angles rounded. 

 Vent much nearer to tip of snout than to end of tail. Snout with a very small barbel, 

 borne by a small triangular prominence, its length (without barbel) \% to 5 J in width 

 of disc ; interorbital width less than longitudinal diameter of eye ; length of eye + spiracle 

 if to twice in that of snout. Internasal width 2§ to more than 3 times in praeoral length 

 of snout. Mouth with a median emargination in the upper jaw; teeth close-set, with 

 pointed crowns (often worn, so that the teeth appear quite fiat) ; 40 to 44 rows in the 

 upper jaw. Upper surface of disc mainly smooth, but with areas of small, well- 

 separated spines along anterior margins of pectoral fins, and sometimes with a small 

 patch of spines on the hinder part of each pectoral ; in the young female the spines are 

 somewhat stronger, mostly with radiating bases, and scattered over the greater part of 

 the disc, being more numerous, however, near the anterior and posterior margins of 

 the pectorals ; a series of spines at inner margin of each orbit ; a roughly triangular patch 

 on the scapulary region ; tail with 3 irregular series of spines posteriorly, and about 

 5 anteriorly, continued forward on the disc as 2 to 4 irregular rows, which may extend 

 anteriorly as far as the scapulary patch ; mature males with 3 or 4 series of alar spines. 

 Lower surface quite smooth. Dorsal fins close to end of tail, separated from one another 

 or contiguous at their bases, separated from or continuous with the caudal fin. Brownish 

 or greyish, spotted or mottled with dark brown and with some small indistinct ocelli 

 scattered over the disc ; lower surface uniformly white. 



Hab. Atlantic coast of South America, from Rio de Janeiro to latitude 45° S. 



In addition to the specimen mentioned above, the description is based upon the type 

 of Psammobatis cirrifer, a female 220 mm. in total length (width of disc 125 mm.) from 

 Cape Frio, Brazil (22 56' S, 41 ° 34' W), and 2 specimens, a male 362 mm. (width of 

 disc 210 mm.) and a female 358 mm. (width of disc 200 mm.), from off the coast of 

 Uruguay (34 S, 50 W), presented to the British Museum by Dr T. Marini. The 

 specimen collected by the ' William Scoresby ' differs in certain respects (more definitely 

 notched upper jaw, slightly larger eye, different spination and coloration, etc.) from 

 typical examples of P. extenta, and it is possible that the southern form represents a 

 distinct species. In view of the extreme variability of Psammobatis scobiua, however, 

 I am not prepared to give a new name to a single example with mutilated tail. 



Psammobatis scobina (Philippi). 



Raja scobina, Philippi, 1857, Arch. Naturg., xxm (1), p. 270; Philippi, 1892, An. Mus. Nac. 



Chile, 1. Zool., p. 2, pi. i, fig. 1 ; Lonnberg, 1907, Hamb. Magalh. Sammelr., Fische, p. 7. 

 Uraptera scobina, Dumeril, 1865, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 1, p. 574. 

 Psammobatis rndis, Gunther, 1870, Cat. Fish., VIII, p. 470; Gunther, 1880, Shore Fish. 



'Challenger', p. 20, pi. v; Vaillant, 1888, Miss. Sci. Cap Horn, vi. Zool., Poiss., p. 15; 



Berg, 1895, Anal. Mus. Nac. B. Aires, iv, p. 14; Delfin, 1901, Cat. Peces Chile, p. 24; 



Lonnberg, 1907, t.c, p. 7; Thompson, 1916, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., l, pp. 404, 421; 



Lahille, 1928, Anal. Mus. Nac. B. Aires, xxxiv, p. 329, fig. 19. 

 Rata (Malacorhina) mira, Garman, 1877, Proc. Boston Soc. N.H., xix, p. 207. 

 Psammobatis rutrum, Jordan, 1890, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., xm, p. 334. 



