FLAPPER SKATE. 67 



" It is distinguished from Rata ball's, in the upper sur- 

 face of tlie body being perfectly sniootli, witliout granulations, 

 and of a dark olive colour spotted with wliitc ; in the ante- 

 rior part of each orbit being furnished with a strong spine 

 pointing backwards ; in the dorsal fins being more remote 

 from each other, and in the anterior margins of the pectorals 

 being rather more concave, giving the snout a sharper appear- 

 ance ; whereas, in Ram batis, the upper surface of the body 

 is rough to the touch, of a uniform dusky grey without spots; 

 the orl)its without spines ; the dorsal fins nearly approximate, 

 and the anterior margins of the pectorals nearly straight." 



" It is likewise removed from Rata, oxyrhi/nchtcs^ in the 

 snout being conic ; the under surface of the body dark grey ; 

 a spine in front of each orbit, and the back of a dark olive- 

 green, spotted with white ; whereas in the Raia oxj/rfnjn- 

 c/ius, the snout is sharp and long, with the lateral margins 

 parallel near the tip ; the under surface of the body pure 

 Avhite, and the back of a plain brown without spots." 



This, species is not uncommon in the Frith of Forth, and 

 I have met, observes Dr. Parnell, " with two examples of a 

 variety of this fish which were taken in the salmon-nets at 

 Queensferry. They were both of small size, about eighteen 

 inches in lenffth. The back was of a uniform dark olive 

 green without spots of any description, covered with a thick 

 mucus ; under surface of a dark grey ; body very thin ; snout 

 sharp, conical ; pectorals at their anterior margin rather 

 sinuous, passing off somewhat suddenly at that part, in a line 

 with the temporal orifices, giving the outline of the anterior 

 part quite a different appearance to that observed in Raia 

 intermedia ; the anterior part of each orbit is furnished with 

 a spine ; back perfectly smooth ; tail with one row of spines 

 on the dorsal ridge ; fins, and in all other respects, similar 

 to Raia inlcrmedia.'''' 



A female specimen of this fish, about two feet in length, 



