CUCKOO KAY. 113 



each side of this middle sj^ace, and a great many smaller 

 spines are scattered on the border. Some spines also near 

 the border of the pectoral fins. The colour pale yellow, and 

 on each side of the disk a well-marked spot of the size of 

 a half-crown; the ground of which black, with defined bright 

 yellow lines or patches. 



In another example I found even the fins on the tail 

 covered with a roughness, arising from fine granular spines. 

 The larger spines also were of a fine texture, with a tendency 

 to radiation at their base. A larger specimen, measuring a 

 little more than three feet in length, and which was a female, 

 resembled the above description in most of the particulars, 

 but bore no mark of the beauty-spots on the disk; the tail 

 also was less furnished with prickles on its sides; and, instead 

 of a triangular bed of spines near the head, as in the others, 

 there was one short line of spines, with a single spine on 

 each side of it. Colour of the surface uniformly ash. 



The species here described makes a near approach to that 

 which is represented in Mr. Yarrell's "History of British 

 Fishes," vol. ii, page 574, under the name of M. radiila; but 

 in some particulars the latter diifers essentially, as we shall 

 shew when we describe the true Sandy E,ay of Cornish 

 fishermen. But it makes even a nearer approach to the 

 species known as the Shagreen Ray; and in the absence of 

 the conspicuous spots on the disk, which, from our description 

 of the large female example, appears to be sometimes the 

 case, there appears to be no way of distinguishing between 

 them, than by the texture of the skin and form of the spines; 

 the former being covered with an uniform blunt roughness, 

 while in the latter the surface is studded with elevated sharp 

 prickles. The spines on the tail also, are, in the Cuckoo 

 Ray, longer and more slender. 



This fish is usually found in sheltered bays, and, although 

 of rather small size, it is esteemed as food. The eggs are 

 deposited in December, yet in July I have seen it with eggs, 

 .some of which seemed abnost ready to be shed. 



VOL. 1. R 



