320 



XXIX. FAMILY OF THE RAYS OR 

 SKATES. RAIID^. 



Representatives in British Fauna. Gen. 5, Sp. i6. 



Gen. 117. Torpedo. Sp. 232. T. vulgaris. 



>18. Raia. 



1 1 9. Trygon. . 



120. Myliobatis. 



121. Cephalop- 



TERA. 



233. T. nobiliana. 



234. J?, mucronata. 

 2S5.R. oxyrhytichus 



236. i2. intermedia. 



237. R. hatis. . . 



238. i2. marginata. 



239. R. microcelkUa. 



240. R. miraletus. 

 2i] . R. sphiosa. . 



242. R. chagrinea. 



243. R. clavata. . 



244. R. radiata. . 



245. T. pasthiacea. 



246. M. aqitila. . 



247. C. Giwna. . 



Common Torpedo, 

 or Electric Ray. 

 New British do. 

 Long-nosed Skate. 

 . Sharp-nosed Ray. 

 Flapper Skate. 

 The Skate. 

 Bordered Ray. 

 Small-eyed do. 

 Homelyn do. 

 Sandy do. 

 Shagreen do. 

 Tliomback. 

 Starry Ray, 

 Sting do. 

 Eagle do. 

 Homed do. 



The name of Rays, by which this family is so 

 familiarly known, some suppose to be derived from 

 the Anglo-Saxon " Reoh," which means " rough," 

 many of the species having a rough granular skin. 

 They may be called, as Mr. Swainson remarks, the 

 flat-fish of the cartilaginous order, the depression 

 and lateral expansion of the body being as great as 

 in the Pleuronectidse or true flat-fish. Their great 

 proportional breadth is produced by the immense 



