314 CARTILAGINET. — RAIAD^. 



lating action of the pectorals. The great size, 

 however, of these fins indicates that, on occasion, 

 they can shoot along with great swiftness. They 

 are very voracious, devouring any fishes that they 

 can master, as well as Crustacea, and shelled 

 mollusca ; the strong flat teeth, with which their 

 jaws are paved, are able to crush to powder the 

 stoutest shells of lobsters and crabs. Some of 

 the species, especially those of tropical seas, 

 grow to an immense size, and are ferocious in 

 proportion to their dimensions. Specimens of 

 the Ceplialoptera have been seen twenty five feet 

 in length, and thirty in breadth ; and one was 

 captured a few years ago at Barbadoes, which 

 weighed three thousand five hundred pounds. 

 Col. Hamilton Smith saw one of these monsters 

 seize and carry down a man who was swimming 

 in the sea near Trinidad. 



About a hundred and thirty species are known 

 to belong to this Family, all of which are ma- 

 rine. They are found in all seas, and the British 

 coasts possess no fewer than sixteen. The fol- 

 lowing groups constitute the Sub-families of 

 the Rays. 



1. Rhinohatina. The Shark -rays. This form 

 may be considered as almost equally partaking of 

 the characters of the two Families whose names 

 it conjointly bears. The body is much longer 

 than broad, the tail is thick, and tapers gradually 

 from the trunk ; the snout is short and elongated. 

 They mostly inhabit the Indian Ocean and the 

 Red Sea. 



2. Torpedinina. The Electric Rays. Here 

 the tail is short and fleshy, but distinctly sepa- 

 rated from the disk of the body, which is nearly 



