NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS. 183 
brown spots, rarely exceeding } inch in diameter, which extend to the 
margins of the disc. A number of small pale rounded areas, with a 
certain bilateral symmetry of arrangement, on the wings, each area 
surrounded by a ring of spots not larger than the rest, and never 
coalescing with each other; occasionally a central “ pupil” spot. 
Under surface white, sometimes a little brown on the tip of the snout. 
* * * * * x * 
It will be seen from the above that the new species differs from 
R. maculata, Montagu, in many points. Comparing specimens of 
equal size, the eye is smaller, the teeth smaller and more numerous, 
and the distance between the snout and the coracoid greater in R. 
blanda than in R. maculata. 
The difference in spinulation is very strongly marked, since 
R. maculata never attains anything like the same development of the 
asperities of the upper surface, as is present in half-grown R. blanda. 
The anterior border of asperities on the under surface is also entirely 
wanting in &. maculata ; the greatest degree of ventral spinulation 
attained by that species throughout life taking the form of a few 
scattered asperities on the snout, about the pectoral region, and on 
the tail. Moreover the maximum width attained by FR. maculata 
hardly exceeds 20 inches, and its egg-purse only measures about 23 
inches exclusive of attachment processes. ‘Though the size of the 
spots on the upper surface is subject to variation, they are always 
largerand more numerous than in R&R. blanda of the same size, and never 
extend to the margins of the disc. In some examples they are alto- 
gether absent. There may or may not be asingle conspicuous ocellus 
on each wing, but if present it is always surrounded by a ring of largish 
spots, which are frequently more or less coalesced ; such an ocellus is 
always larger than any of those exhibited by R. blanda, and though 
other pale areas may exist on the wings of R. maculata they are never 
at all distinct. 
There are a number of spotted rays found in the South Atlantic and 
Mediterranean, which all appear to possess the anterior border of ven- 
tral asperities, but are yet specifically distinct from R. blanda. The 
species which most closely approach it are R. asterias (Mill. and 
Henl.) and R. punctata (Risso) ; but of these the former, besides differ- 
ing conspicuously in colour, has a very much larger mouth, while the 
latter, a very small species, has much larger teeth than R. blanda. 
A species described under the name of R. brachyura by Lafont 
(Soc. Linn. Bordeaux, xxvii, 1873, p. 503, pl. xxv) may possibly be 
identical with R. blanda, but the description is very meagre and the 
figure primitive. It is impossible from the context to be certain 
whether a statement that there are no “aiguillons” on the ventral 
