THE SHAGREEN RAY. 431 



The back was of a uniform dark olive-green without spots of 

 any description, covered with a thick mucus ; under surface 

 of a dark grey ; body very thin ; snout sharp, conical ; pec- 

 torals at their anterior margins rather sinuous, passing off 

 some^vhat suddenly at that part, in a line with the tempo- 

 ral orifices, giving the outline of the anterior part quite a 

 different appearance to that observed in Raia intermedia ; 

 the anterior part of each orbit is furnished with a spine ; 

 back perfectly smooth ; tail with one row of spines on the 

 dorsal ridge ; fins, and in all other respects, similar to Raia 

 intermedia. (Plate XL I.) 



Raia chagkinea.* — The Shagreen Ray. 



Specific Characters. — Body on the upper surface very rough ; on 

 the under surface of a pure white ; a row of spines round the inner 

 edge of each orbit ; two rows of large bent spines on the tail. (Plate 

 XLI.) 



Description. — From a female specimen three feet two inches in 

 length, tail included. Body of a rhomboidal form ; the transverse 

 diameter rather greater than the distance between the tip of the snout 

 and the end of the anal rays ; from the point of the snout to the tip 

 of the pectoral^ from thence to the base of the ventral fin on the op- 

 posite side^ equal ; the length of the tail equal to the distance from 

 its base to the posterior margin of the orbit ; from the tip of the snout 

 to the middle of the eye, one-seventh of the whole length, caudal 

 included ; the transverse cartilage is situated mid-way between the 

 extremity of the nose and the termination of the base of the anal fin. 

 Snout sharp, conate ; the anterior margins of the pectorals slightly 

 sinuous ; the posterior margins rounded ; ventrals narrow, being three 

 or four times longer than their breadth, placed between the termi- 

 nation of the large broad pectorals and the commencement of the 

 anals, composed of five raj^s, of which the second is the longest. Anals 

 rounded at their outer margins, and terminating free below, about 

 five times the breadth of the ventrals, each furnished with about 

 twenty-one rays. Dorsals approximate, small and thin, situated 

 nearly at the extremity of the tail, both of equal size, rounded at their 

 posterior free margins ; each fin furnished with eight rays, which ap- 



* Raia chagrinea, Mont., Penn., Jen. 



