GEN. RATA. STARRY RAY. 333 



age of propagation, are called maidens or maiden- 

 skates^ and while in that condition the flesh is re- 

 garded as more delicate than in adult specimens. 

 As a general rule, the teeth of mature males are 

 angular, and blunt in the other sex; but to this 

 there are occasional exceptions, the teeth appearing 

 equally blunt in both. The Cwcierian Ray of La- 

 cepede, which has the dorsal fin on the middle of 

 the back, and of which an example was found by 

 Dr. Neill in the Firth of Forth in 1808, is now re- 

 garded by most authors as a variety of the Thorn- 

 back. 



(Sp. 244.) R. radiata. Starry Ray. This Ray 

 resembles the Thornback in the nature of its arma- 

 ture, but it is very dissimilar in other respects. 

 The head is very obtuse, and there is scarcely any 

 sinuosity between the front of the head and the 

 widest part of the pectoral fin. The spines are 

 large, and most of them rest on broad oval bases, 

 having a radiated appearance ; there are three regu- 

 lar series on the tail, running up the back nearly to 

 the head. The under side is perfectly smooth, with- 

 out any vestiges of spines, and of a uniform white 

 colour. It is, perhaps, the smallest of the British 

 Rays, measuring about eighteen or nineteen inches 

 in length, and twelve or thirteen in breadth. It 

 was first figured and described by Donovan (British 

 Fishes, pi. 114) from a specimen obtained on the 

 north coast; and judging from the localities that 

 have been given, it appears to be a northern species. 

 It has been taken in Berwick Bay, and not unfre- 



