IQIO.] 



N. Annandale : Notes on the Batoidei. 



and Mr. G. H. Tipper. They were taken on the fresh fish, while I have only been 

 able to examine the skin in spirit. Unfortunately the snout was not measured, but it 

 has evidently been extremely broad, short, and blunt. The measurements of young 

 males were taken from two specimens captured together in the Bay of Bengal and 

 preserved in spirit. Unfortunately the snout is much distorted in the smaller of the 

 two, which was probably born prematurely: — 



Breadth of disk 

 Length of disk 

 Length of tail 

 Mouth to vent 

 Breadth of snout at base 

 Length of snout 



The length of disk includes that of the snout. 



The large female differs not only in its inconspicuous coloration, very large size 

 and short rounded snout from other specimens sent to the Museum from the " Golden 

 Crown," but also in having the dorsal surface and the whole of the tail covered with 

 small, star-shaped denticles. On the head these are sufficiently close together to 

 form a regular pavement, while on the tail they have a spinous character. Miiller 

 and Henle have noticed that the tail of very large specimens of A . flagellum is some- 

 times rough {Plagiostomen , p. 180), and I am inclined to think that this is a character 

 denoting extreme old age The teeth in the ' ' Golden Crown ' ' specimen are trans- 

 verse, and not pointed at the tip in the lower jaw ; the na.sal flap is nearly straight; 

 there is no trace of a serrated spine on the tail. It is evident therefore, that neither 

 the shape of the tooth-band of the lower jaw, the outline of the snout, that of the 

 nasal flap, nor the number of spines present on the tail can be regarded as characters 

 of specific importance. 



