198 NOTES AND MEMORANDA. 



trawlers. In view of the confused synonymy of the gurnards, recently 

 assisted by Smitt's revival of forgotten names, it is, perhaps, necessary 

 to state that the species now under discussion is characterised by the 

 attenuated form of the body and by the great elongation of the second 

 dorsal spine. 



Trygon pastinaca. Linn. Sting-ray. Two small examples were 

 trawled 20 miles off Plymouth on the 19th January, 1898. Several 

 were taken on the trawling ground off Salcombe a few days previously. 

 The fish is well known to local fishermen, and perhaps hardly deserves 

 especial mention as a rare form. — E. W. L. H. 



Myliobatis aquila. Linn. Eagle-ray. A female, taken in company 

 with the sting-rays previously mentioned, was brought to the Laboratory 

 on the 19th January, 1898. It measures 34 inches across the disk, and 

 shows what we suppose to be an interesting phase of the renewal of the 

 caudal spine. A large spine occupies the normal position, and is back- 

 wardly directed ; a shorter and slightly curved spine, originating a little 

 in front of the other, passes forward on the right side of the dorsal fin. 

 We suppose that, as the larger spine becomes obsolete, the smaller is 

 rotated backwards, but the condition may possibly be abnormal. We 

 have not dissected the basal parts. A large Trygon has one spine 

 directly overlying the other. 



In another place one of us has shown that the egg-purse attributed 

 by Couch to the Eagle-ray belongs in reality to a Eaia. Myliobatis is 

 known to be viviparous ; in our specimen the oviducts lead directly into 

 a pair of "uteri," apposed together in the middle line. The strong 

 muscular walls are continuous externally. Internally each uterine 

 chamber is thickly clothed with long vascular villi. The shell-gland, 

 if represented at all, was not found. So far only a hasty examination 

 has been possible. — E. W. L. H. and W. G. 



