RAIA. 109 



GEN. RAIA. 



Thornback, — Raia Clavata. Notwithstand- 

 ing the assertions of some to the contrary, others 

 who have seen the thornback in England, contend 

 that it has been taken on this coast. 



THE THORNBACK. 



The body is cineritious, rough, with bony tuber- 

 cles, — each of which is furnished with a hooked 

 spine, — the dorsal row being the longest ; the 

 tail is longer than the body, loaded with three rows 

 of spines. 



Usually, they are from two to three feet long, 

 when fully grown. We cannot assert positively 

 that we have seen one, yet we have an indistinct 

 recollection of such a circumstance, in the deep- 

 water near Scituate, about eight years ago. 



Skate, — Raia Batis. All the borders of 

 Massachusetts are visited by the skate, some 

 of which are in breadth as much as four or five 

 feet, with a brown body, rough skin, — hav- 



