of the Fisher 1/ Board for Scotlrnd. 535 



Grey or Blue Skate. liaia baits, L. 



The examination of the stomachs of nine specimens of Rccia hatis gave 

 the following results — three stomachs of moderate-sized fish obtained at 

 the Fish Market, Aberdeen, on March 21st, 1901, contained partly 

 digested Pandalus montagui and the remains of other Crustaceans, but 

 they were too imperfect for identification. The stomachs of two of 

 average size were obtained at the Fish Market on April 9th, 1901 ; one of 

 them contained the remains of fiat-fishes, Whitings, Crangon vulgaris, and 

 Nika edidis, the other contained one Common Gurnard, two fiat-fishes, 

 and the remains of two Portunus liolsatus, but they were all very imperfect. 



Three stomachs which were obtained at the Fish Market on April 11th, 

 1901, contained the remains of fishes (Whitings and others), but too 

 imperfect for identification. 



The stomach of a Grey Skate measuring 15 inches across the pectoral 

 fins, collected in the deep water (65 fathoms) off Aberdeen, contained 

 the remains of Crangon allmanni and Pandalus montagiti. 



Van Beneden, referring to the food of Raia hatis, remarks that 

 " Ce poisson devore tout,'"' and gives the following list of fishes that he 

 had found in their stomachs : — Callionyinus Igra; Gadus morrliua, 

 jun., Gadus teglejiniis, Gadus merlangus, and Pleuronectcs platessa, L. 

 Portunus holsatus, Loligo vidgaris, and Solen ensis were also among the 

 organisms obtained by him.* Day also refers to the voracity of the 

 Grey Skate, and states on the authority of !Mr. Dunn of Mevagissey that 

 a stone of nearly a pound weight was taken from the stomach of one 

 of these fishes. t 



Shagreen or Fuller's Ray. Raia fullonica, L. 



The stomachs of three specimens of Fuller's Ray, obtained at the Fish 

 Market, Aberdeen, contained a Portunus holsatus (with a sacculine 

 parasite attached to its abdomen), Spirontocaris securifrons, Nika edulis, 

 Pandalus montagui and a fragment of Scalaria sp., which had within it 

 a partly decomposed Hermit Crab. The stomachs of other four specimens 

 were obtained at the Fish Market on April 9th ; and one of them 

 contained a Sand-eel 14 centimetres in length and also the remains of 

 another small fish ; one contained three Sand-eels fairly perfect as well 

 as the remains of a few others, and a Crangon allmanni ; a third stomach 

 contained fish remains (probably of small Haddocks) and a Schizopod, 

 Gastrosaccus spinifer ; \ih.\\.e in the fourth a male Callionymus lyra 12 

 inches (30 cm.) in length Avas obtained. Another stomach, received on 

 April 11th, contained the remains of fish, but they were too imperfect 

 for identification. 



Thornback Skate. Raia clavata, L. 



Two young specimens of Raia clavata captured in Aberdeen Bay on 

 July 3rd, 1900, had some food in their stomachs which consisted chiefly 

 of Ampliipoda, but the only species identified were Hippomedon 

 denticulatus and Batliyporeia norvegica. 



The stomachs of two Thornback Skates obtained at the Fish INIarket, 

 Aberdeen, on April 11th contained Eupagurus hernhardus and the 

 remains of some fishes not perfect enough for identification. 



Three small Thornbacks captured in the Firth of Clyde on October 

 4th, 1901, and measuring respectively 18^, 22, and 23 cm. across the 



* Op. cii., p. 16. 



f Brit. Finhes, vol. II., p. 3.37. 



