72 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 
Raja eglanteria Lacépéde. 
Skate. Brier Ray. Possum Ray. Sea Possum. Bob Tailed 
Skate. 
Length of disk, from tip of snout to base of tail, less than 
greatest width; interorbital space 214 in snout measured to eye; 
width of mouth 2; eye 2 in interorbital space; tail a little less 
than body measured from tip of snout to its own base. Anterior 
margins of disk when viewed above at first a little convex, and 
greatest width of disk falling about last % of its length. Eyes 
elongate. Mouth a little curved, with more than 40 rows of teeth 
in each jaw. Above with minute pricks and along middle of 
anterior margin of disk a patch of enlarged ones. Median line 
of snout and interorbital space with minute asperities. A median 
line of thorns from just behind interorbital space, which is shal- 
lowly concave, to dorsal fins. A spine between dorsals. On each 
side of tail’a series of similar thorns with irregular thorns of 
‘smaller size above and between them and median series. Body 
below smooth, except anterior margins of disk and lower surface 
of snout, which are finely asperous. A thorn at each shoulder. 
Dorsals 2, near end of tail, close together, and posterior a little 
larger. Anterior margin of pectoral nearly straight, posterior 
edge a little convex. Ventral with anterior lobe a little pro- 
longed. Color pale brown on upper surface marked with many 
bars, blotches, spots and lines medianly. A translucent space 
on each side of snout. Below whitish. A male about 20 inches 
long. Atlantic City. A little larger female I collected at Angle- 
sea was altogether more asperous with very distinct markings 
on the upper surface. 
Abundant, often especially so during summer., I have seen 
many examples from Barnegat, Atlantic City, Sea Isle City, Stone 
Harbor, Grassy Sound, Anglesea and Cape May. In the latter 
place many are taken with sting rays, Dasybatus, in the pounds 
built for king crabs and weak fish. It is also sometimes notice- 
ably abundant there during the fall and occurs in Delaware Bay. 
Though I have no information of the breeding of this species 
on our coast Mr. H. Walker Hand saw a pair in coitus off the 
