FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 349 



is mainly an artificial condition, not one that would be apparent if 

 it were possible to examine the fish in their natural environment. Now, 

 quite apart from the question of the depth at which a fish lives, it 

 is clear that eyes may be inconvenient to an animal which wriggles 

 about in the mud at the bottom of the sea, and I have little doubt that 

 both the fish under discussion live in this way, perhaps actually bur- 

 rowing into the mud, through which the movements of their disks 

 assist them to make their way. Their mouths, like those of their 

 nearest allies in both cases, are feebly developed and probably suctorial 

 in function. Neither they nor their allies can attack large organisms 

 of any kind, and it is clear that their electric organs must be weapons 

 of defense rather than offense. Perhaps both Benthobatis and Ben- 

 gaXichthys have become more perfectly adapted for obtaining their 

 food by sucking it from the mud, owing to the degeneracy of certain 

 organs that are of no use for this particular purpose." 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES 



a\ Nabkb. Eyes small, though distinct and pigmented. 

 &\ Dorsal base above ventrals ; vent postmedian ; variably uniform dark brown 



above, below white capensis 



6'. Dorsal base behind ventrals ; vent median. 

 c\ Ventrals with outer angle, edge concave ; brown above, with white spots 



and edges, white below dipterygia 



c'. Ventrals without outer angle, edge convex ; brown above and below, plain 



or spotted with black and white japonica 



o'. Bengauohthys. Eyes minute, sunken, colorless ; above deep buff, clouded 

 with dark brown and few pale spots or streaks and edge creamy, below 

 creamy impennis 



Subgenus Narke Kaup 



NARKE CAPENSIS (Gmelin) 



Raja capensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat. Linn., vol. 1, p. 1512, 1789 (type locality: Cape 

 of Good Hope). — Walbatjm, Artedi Pise, vol. 3, p. 536, 1792 (on Gronow). — 

 LAcfip^DB, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 1, p. 158, 1798 (copied). — Schneider, Syst. 

 Ichth. Bloch, p. 360, 1801 (Cape of Good Hope). 



Torpedo capensis Olfers, Torpedo, p. 23, pi. 2, fig. 1, 1831 (Cape of Good 

 Hope).— Gray, Cat. fish Gronow, p. 13, 1854 (Cape of Good Hope). 



Narcine capensis Henlb, tJber Narcine, p. 36, pi. 3, fig. 1, 1834. 



Astrape capensis MUlleb and Hbnle, Syst. Beschr. Plagiostomen, p. 130, 1841 

 (Cape of Good Hope). — Gray, List fish British Museum, p. 108, 1851 (ref- 

 erence). — DuM^RiL, Rev. Zool., p. 280, 1852 (reference). — Bleekeb, Nat. 

 Tijds. Nederland. Indie, vol. 21, p. 58, 1860 (Cape of Good Hope).— Dum^ril, 

 Hist. Nat. Elasmobr., vol. 1, p. 522, 1865 (Cape of Good Hope). — Kneb, Reise 

 Novara, Fische, p. 419, 1865 (Cape of Good Hope). — GiJNTHER, Cat. Fishes 

 British Mus., vol. 8, p. 454, 1870 (Cape of Good Hope; Madagascar). — 

 Sauvage, Hist. Nat. Madagascar, Poiss., p. 510, 1891. — Regan, Ann. Natal 

 Gov. Mus., vol. 1, p. 242, 1908 (Bird Island). — Gilchrist and Thompson, 

 Ann. Durban Mus., vol. 1, pt. 3, p. 287, 1916 (references). 



