FISHES— EAIIDAE. 



371 



to pass through the press without any further delay, we must defer to another opportunity of 

 describing this species more fully. 



List of specimens. 



Family TOEPEDINIDAE, Owen. 



The body is rounded off, sub-orbicular, naked, else without scales, spines or prickles. The 

 ventral fins are situated immediately behind the pectorals. The tail is moderately elongated, 

 fleshy, depressed at the base, cylindrical towards its extremity, which is terminated ly a well 

 developed, triangular caudal fin. There are either one or two dorsal fins, or none at all. On 

 either side of the tail a membranous ridge, more or less elongated, may be observed. The upper 

 eyelid is immovable, without median process. The nasal flaps of either side coalesce into a 

 quadrilateral lip, free upon its edge, leaving but the outer angle of the nostrils uncovered, 

 being at the same time united by a small frenum to the upper (anterior) lip. The teeth are 

 small, acute or depressed. An electrical apparatus exists betw*^en the head, the gills and the 

 inner margin of the pectorals, consisting of vertical columns, the terminal surface of which 

 being oftentimes observed through the skin of the back and belly. 



Syn.— Toipedniim, Bonaf. Syst. Vertebr. 1837, 44, &, Selach. Tabiii. analyt. 1838, 4.— Bd. Iconogr. Encyc!, II, 1850, 242. 



Torpedines, Mdll. & Hekle, Syst. Besclir. Plagiost. 1841, 1 26. —Mull, in Wugm. Archiv (ur Naturg. 1845, 1, 137.— 



Dhm. Ichthyol. analyt. 185G,141. 

 Torpedinidae, Owek, Lect. Comp. Anat. Vert. Anim. 184C, 51. 



The genera Torpedo and Narcine, which are provided with two dorsal fins, differ from one 

 another by characters which may be best appreciated when respectively compared. Not in 

 possession of any specimens from the western coast, it is not to be expected that we should 

 enlarge upon this topic. We will simply state that the species described by Dr. Ayres belongs 

 to Narcine instead of Torpedo, and consequently we record it under the name of 



NARCINE CALIFOENICA, Grd. 

 Stn. — Torpedo californica, Ayres, in Proc. Cal Acad. Nat. Sc. Pliilad. I, 1855, 70. 



hoping at a future time to complete the history of this fish in connexion with its Atlantic 

 representative described by my esteemed friend Dr. D. H. Storer, of Boston, now engaged upon 

 an illustrated edition of his "History of the Fishes of Massachusetts." 



Family RAIIDAE, Owen. 



The pectoral fins are combined with the snout, and their insertion extends as fiir as the 

 ventrals. The body is broad, rhomboidal in general appearance; the tail is slender and 

 elongated, depressed and provided on either side with a membranous keel or fold extending to its 

 whole length, the two dorsal fins being situated towards its extremity; the terminal fin, or 

 caudal, either exists as border to the caudal process, else is entirely wanting. The upper eyelid 



