inflicting extremely painful injury. Large specimens are usually 



cut up into small pieces and sold to the industrial fish plants. 



Family Gymnuridae 



Genus Gym nurd 



(29) Gymnura altavela (Linnaeus) 1758 

 Butterfly ray 



Specimens: 



There are three records of this species from Rhode Island. One 

 specimen, six feet seven inches wide from Newport, was the basis 

 for LeSueur's (1817) species maclura. One specimen 23 inches (TL) 

 taken during July, 1900, in Narragansett Bay is noted by Tracy 

 (1910). The most recent record of this rare species was a four feet 

 wide ray taken at Point Judith in August, 1949, Arnold (1951). 



Family Myliobatidae 

 Genus Myliobatis 



(30) Myliobatis frcminvilli LeSueur 1824 

 Bullnose ray, eagle ray 



Specimens: 



The original type specimen of this species described by LeSueur 

 was taken in 1824 from Rhode Island. Tracy (1910) mentions this 

 species appearing in traps near Saunderstown. Fowler (1917) notes 

 one member of this species taken at Newport. 



Family Rhinopteridae 

 Genus Rhinoptcra 



(31) Rhinoptera bonasns (Mitchill) 1815 

 Cow-nosed ray 



Specimens: (PLATE 12) 



Tracy (1910) mentions an immense school of these fishes seen 

 off Block Island by Captain Mason of Tiverton. An immature male 

 of this species from Newport (Harv. Mus. Comp. Zool., No. 746). 

 567 mm. wide, appears in Figure 107 of Bigelow and Schroeder 

 (1953 a). On October 3, 1957, one specimen with a total length of 

 three feet was taken by the trawler Jane Dore four miles south of 

 Watch Hill. 



19 



