119 



f'ectly soft and sniodth", without a sign of spiiiulu', in 

 ordinary cases even iiiuler the snout and fail, f\(C]it at 

 the extreme ti]>. The dorsal side is for the most part 

 naked, if we excejit the edge of the anterior lateral 

 margins of the ilisk, which is fringed with eoarst!, scat- 

 tered spiniihe with stellate liase, the rosti-al cai'tilage, 

 where similar, but still mure scattered s|>iiud;e appear, 

 the dorsal fins, and the tail. The latter is somewhat 

 roughened with fine, very dense spines. These spines 

 present the peculiarity of heiiig distributed in two 

 longitudinal bands, bi-oad in front, narrowing behind, 

 which extend between the aculei of the median and 

 lateral rows, back to the sides of the base of the second 

 dorsal fin, the outer margin of each band touching the 

 lateral row of aculei, but the inner margin falling a^ 

 little short of the median row, so that the spinal column 

 itself, on which the aculei are situated, is covered between 

 them with quite smooth skin. The ordinary aculei are the 

 following: a) a few before and behind the eyes, b) a row 

 along the back and the middle of the tail, though it should 

 be observed that the aculei in the anterior part of this 

 row are often worn, short and tuberous, here and there, 

 or wanting at certain spots, c) 2 to 4 on each side of 

 the spinal column above the scapular cartilage, and d) 

 a row of smaller aculei on each side of the tail, oc- 

 cupying the extreme lateral margin, just above the 

 membrane with which this is edged. The aculei have 

 a singular and rather easily recognisable form. The 

 base is a triangular cone, with compressed sides, sharp 

 in front, truncate behind, and with a hollow and grooved 



or somewhat radiate surface, and from tliis rather elevated 

 base there springs abruptl\- a very short cusp, usually 

 directed obliquely backwards, but on one or two of the 

 aculei at the side-margins of the tail antrorse. No 

 aculeus is e\er present between the two dorsal fins. 



The coloration i< above of a plain bluish gray, 

 underneath of a pui'e milky white, with a grayish baod 

 along the middle of the tail and a spot of the same 

 tint on each side of the anus. Sometimes a darker 

 tinge appears on the margins of the disk, both above 

 and below, being apparently a remnant of the juvenile 

 dress which has given rise to the name of marr/inafa. 



The external differences of sex are tlu; ordinary 

 ones. 



The haunts of the Sharp-nosed Skate are the same 

 as those of the Shagreen Skate, but it is more frecjuently 

 caught by the fisherman. It lives at the same consider- 

 able depth. Middle-aged individuals preponderate among 

 the Sharp-nosed Skate taken on the Norwegian banks. 

 In Bohusliin this species bears the names of Spanjor 

 (Spaniard) and Blagarnsrocka (Canvas Skate), and is well 

 known and distinguished from the others by every ex- 

 perienced fisherman. As we have already mentioned, 

 our Sharp-nosed Skate is probably the same species as 

 the French Rate lisse et hlanche, which has been an 

 article of trade between French and English fishermen 

 for centuries, the former visiting the English coast to 

 purchase this fish for transportation to their own country, 

 where on account of its fleshiness it is more in demand 

 than other Rays. (Fries, Smitt.) 



B: Ventral side of the bodj- gray or grayish black, punctated with black dots and lines. — True Skates. 



The two dorsal tins are separated, sometimes with, sometimes without interjacent aculei. The ventral side 

 is of a dirty grayish or lilackish colour, with numerous black pores, opening into cm-vilinear muciferous canals 

 (Lorenzinian ampulhe and divisions of the lateral line). No ordinary aculei on the back, but only on the tail 

 and sometimes at the eyes. These species attain a considerable size, live in veiy deep water, and are highly 

 valued for their fiesh. (FuiE.s.) 



The relations between the three following species 

 are very highh' suggestive of the same close kinship as 

 we have considered at length above, especiallj' in the 

 families of the Flounders and Salmons. These Skates 

 compose a form-series in which the specific distinctions 



are more or less obvious expressions of the differences 

 of age and sex. The most prominent specific charac- 

 ters depend on the prolongation and contraction of the 

 anterior part of the body, especially the rostral region. 

 In this respect one of the Scandinavian forms, the com- 



" Snmetimes, however, spines occur on the under surface of the snout ; and in Raja alba (bramante) the anterior margins of the 

 pectoral fins are also sometimes spinigerous underneath. 



Scandinavian Fiihes. 1*1 



