4 12 HniNOBATIDJ^. 



fins without spine, both at a great distance behind the ventral fins. 

 Caudal fin without lower lobe. 

 Ti'opical and subtropical seas. 



The passage from Rhinohatus proper (species with a narrow ante- 

 rior nasal valve) to Syrrhina (species with a broad anterior nasal 

 valve) is so gradual that these groups cannot be maintained as 

 subgenera. Some of the species which ought to have been placed in 

 ISi/rrhiiia have been referred to Rhinohatus by Miiller and Henle. 



1. Ehinobatus thouini. 



Ilaie thouin, Lacep. i. p. 134, pi. 1. figs. 3-5; Shaw, Zool. v. 2. 



p. 318, pi. 147. tig. 2. 

 Rhinohatus thouini, Miill. Sf Henle, p. 120 ; Dumeril, Elasynobr. 

 p. .500, pi. 10. fig. 2 (snout). 



ligonifer, Cant. Mai. Fish. p. 415, pi. 14 ; Bleek. Verh. Bat. 



Gen. xxiv. Plar/. p. 59. 

 Anterior nasal valve not dilated laterally. Nostril very long, its 

 length being more than the space between the inner angles of the 

 nostrils. Snout terminating in a long narrow cartilaginous appen- 

 dage. Mouth straight. Skin coarsely granidar ; a series of com- 

 pressed spines along the median line of the back ; similar spines on 

 the orbital margin and shoulder, llostral ridges confluent, narrow. 



East-Indian archipelago. 

 a. Half-grown. Pinang. From Dr. Cantor's Collection. 

 h. Half-grown : skin. Pinang. From Dr. Cantor's Collection, 

 c. Half-grown. East-Indian archipelago. From Dr. Pleeker's Col- 

 lection. 



2. RMnobatus halavi. 



Raja halavi, Forsh. Descr. An. p. 19. 



Rhinohatus halavi, Iiilj)p. Atl. Fisch. p. 55, tab. 14. fig. 2 ; Miill. &■ 

 Henle, p. 120; Guichen. Explvr. Alger. Foiss. p. 129; Ditmenl, 

 Elasmoh: p. 496. 

 Anterior nasal valve not dilated laterally. Snout rather pro- 

 duced, the distance between the outer angles of the nostrils being- 

 contained about once and three-fifths in that between the mouth 

 and the end of the snout. Mouth straight. Back covered with 

 distinct rough tubercles, and with a distinct series of large tuber- 

 cles along the median line. Some distinct spinous tubercles in front 

 of the eye and on the shoulder. The two rostral ridges separated 

 at the base by a broad triangular groove, but confluent along the 

 middle third of their length. 



From the Mediterranean to the sea of China. 

 a. Half-grown. River Bonny (AVest Africa). Purchased of Mr. J. 



Wood. 

 li. Adult female : stuflfed. Gambia. Purchased. 



c. Adult male : stuflbd. Red Sea. Purchased of Dr. Riippell. 



d. Adult female : stuffed. China. 



e. Adult female: stuffed. From the Collection of the Zoological Society. 

 /. Half-grown male. From the Haslar Collection. 



