SOUTH AFRICA 45 



I'ounded. Vent a little nearer to tip of snout than to end of tail. Snout with a rather 

 short, obtuse, triangular projection, its length 4I to more than 6 in width of disc. 

 Interorbital width equal to (young) or greater than diameter of eye, but always less 

 than that of eye + spiracle, which is 2 to 2f in length of snout. Internasal width if 

 to 2^ in praeoral length of snout. Teeth pointed in mature individuals of both sexes, 

 but often worn quite flat; 50 to 80 rows. Upper surface of disc and tail mainly smooth, 

 but with some scattered small, often stellate-based spinules, chiefly on snout, anterior 

 parts of pectorals and sides of tail; larger spines all with stellate bases; a series of 

 spines above each orbit and spiracle, and a pair between the spiracles; young with 

 2 to 4 median nuchal spines, and 2 or 3 scapular spines ; in adults there is a triangular 

 patch of spines on the nucho-scapulary region ; young with a series of 25 to 27 median 

 spines extending from just behind the suprascapulary region to the first dorsal; these 

 are gradually reduced during growth, being represented by rather obtuse spines in a 

 mature male, and are absent altogether in large females; i or 2 lateral series on each 

 side of the median line of the back (except in young), persisting in the largest specimens 

 in which the median series has disappeared, and 2 series, with some irregularly arranged 

 additional spines, on each side of the tail. Lower surface rough on snout and (in adults) 

 the anterior edges of the pectorals; otherwise smooth. Upper surface brownish or 

 greyish, sometimes with numerous round dark spots, chiefly obvious in the young; 

 sometimes traces of pale, dark-edged ocelli, and occasionally a very faint naevus-like 

 ocellus near the middle of the base of each pectoral ; lower surface uniformly pale or 

 with some irregularly shaped but more or less symmetrically arranged greyish or 

 blackish patches on pectorals and pelvics. 



Hab. South-western Africa, off Cape Peninsula and Saldanha Bay; coast of 

 Natal. 



Described from 14 specimens, 110-975 ^^^^- in total length (58-625 mm. across disc), 

 from off Dassen Island, Table Bay and Cape Point, and from the coast of Natal, in- 

 cluding the types of the species. 



I have little doubt, after examining all the available material, that the forms described 

 by Barnard as quadrimacnlata and naevm represent the same species, the description of 

 the former being based upon very large female specimens. The types of R. leopardus 

 are both very small (no, 180 mm. in total length; 58, 95 mm. across disc), but are 

 almost certainly the young of the species described above. The mounted specimen, 

 740 mm. in total length (485 mm. across disc), identified by Barnard as R. lintea, appears 

 to belong to this species. 



This species has been confused with R. naeviis of European seas, but the two are 

 quite distinct. In naeviis the snout is rather shorter and blunter, its length 5 (young) 

 to about 6| in width of disc ; the interorbital width is equal to or rather less than diameter 

 of eye ; and there are only 54 to 60 rows of teeth. Further, comparison of specimens of 

 similar size shows the spination to be different, the small spinules being much more 

 numerous and better developed in the European species. Also, R. leopardus lacks the 

 large ocellus which is so characteristic of R. naeviis. 



