THE STING-FISH. 173 



three first nearly of equal length ; second dorsal-fin commencing close 

 behind the first, and ending near the tail, over the last ray but three 

 of the anal fin ; rays soft and flexible, branched at the summit, gra- 

 dually decreasing in height from the fifth ; ventral- fins placed before 

 the pectorals, the tips of the rays reaching as far as the vent ; num- 

 ber of fin rays — 



1st D. 6 ; 2d D. 24 j P. 15 ; V. 6 j A. 26 ; C. 12. 



It is distinguished from the Great Weaver, T. draco, the 

 only other British species in this genus, by having no 

 spine before the eyes, and in the second dorsal fin being 

 composed of twenty-four rays ; whereas the T. draco has a 

 strong hooked spine before each eye, and thirty rays on the 

 second dorsal fin. 



This fish is of common occurrence on the south western 

 shores of Scotland, and more particularly in the Sol way 

 Firth, than on any other part of the British coast. I have 

 seen it captured occasionally on the sand banks off Exmouth, 

 on the coast of Devon, and more frequently at Brixham while 

 drawing the drag-net. Mr Yarrell says it occurs in the bays 

 of Dublin and Belfast. It is met with at the mouth of 

 the Tay, but very seldom seen in the Firth of Forth. Fn 

 the year 1831, Mr Stark took specimens on the sands of 

 Portobello. It has been observed once in the sands above 

 Queensferry ; and in 1834, in the month of August, a very 

 fine specimen six and a half inches long was sent me from 

 Musselburijh, where it was taken with a hook baited for 

 flounders. Since then two other instances of its capture 

 have occurred from the same quarter. It approaches the 

 shores only in the warm summer months, when it is found 

 inhabiting water from two to three feet deep. During the 

 day it conceals itself in the sands, leaving only its nose and 

 eyes above the soil uncovered; when approached, it imme- 

 diately erects the first dorsal-fin, and if trod on (as frequent- 

 ly happens while persons are bathing), its sharp spines 



