650 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvi. 



Disk three-fourths as long as wide. Snout moderately jjrominent. General out- 

 liiu' similar to tliat of Rnja orellntd. Tail from vent equals the length of the disk 

 including the ventrals; depressed, rather l)road at the dorsals, hehind which it 

 extends in a long point that i)rnl)al)ly is much reduced in comparative length in the 

 a(Uilt. Teeth in 80 stories. Eyes moderate; interorhital space nearly hail their 

 distance from the end of tlie snout. Mouth hroad, with a slight forward curve. A 

 pair of large spines in front of each eye; a single spine ahove each spiracle; one 

 behind the head on the anterior en<l of the vertebral column, sometimes a second 

 behind this on the shoulder girdle, and a median row on the tail, beginning behind 

 the vent and reaching the second dorsal. Dorsals separated by two spines. Except- 

 ing these spines, the back is smooth. 



Light reddish brown; a black ring, half as wide as the mouth, incloses a light col- 

 ored space near the shoulder girdle on each pectoral. 



The large .size of tliis fetii.s renders it proV)al)le that it beloiio-.s to a 

 species distinct from Raja Dieerdervoortl and perhaps allied to Raja 

 ocellata. * 



{fimciui^ dusk}'.) 



42. RAJA MEERDERVOORTI Bleeker. 



Raja meerderrooriil 'I Bleeker, Act. Sci. Ind. Xeerl., YIII, 1860, p. f>6; .Ia])an. — 

 Jordan and Snyder, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1900, p. .337; Tokyo. 



Snout T| in head; interorhital space If in snout; width of mouth L|; 

 leno'th of first dorsal, 1|; eye 3^ in interorhital space. 



Body broad, disk much wider than long, its anterior margin undu- 

 lated. Head small; snout slightly produced, pomted; eyes small, 

 interorhital space greater than distance of eye from margin of disk; 

 mouth rather small, undulated, about as far from tip of snout as latter 

 is from e3'e; nostrils large, their distance from corners of mouth two 

 and two-thirds in space between latter and tip of snout; intcrnastd 

 space one and one-fifth width of mouth; teeth rather small, sharply 

 pointed, in about 45 row^sin upper jaw; upper lip free in middle; nos- 

 trils very large, broadly separated at corners of mouth, with which 

 they are confluent, and with a large flap, posterior margin of which 

 is broadly fringed; interorhital space broad, concave, supraoral ridges 

 not particularly elevated. Spiracles much smaller than the eye and 

 directly posterior. Gill-slits small. 



Above, roughened on snout in front, along anterior undulated mar- 

 gins of disk; a patch of thorns on each side of pectorals, on their outer 

 third; several spines or tubercles on each supraorbital ridge; several 

 in front of eye; a couple on middle of back in front, and three rows 



«Disk rhomboid, its anterior borders undulate, a httle broader than long; snout 

 very sharj), greater than mternasal space, length from mouth half more than width 

 of latter; median teeth ni male, pointed. Back smooth, with a single, conical, 

 curved spine on its median region; several spines before, and within the eyes; the 

 outer Hi)ines on the anterior region in 3 to 5 series. Tail a little shorter than the 

 disk; clasi)ers (in the type 21 cm. long) very large. Olive-green above, orange along 

 the edge of disk; pale ocelli of varying size more or less evident; pores on the lower 

 side of head bordered with black. ( Bleeker), 



