536 Part III. — Tv:cntiet}i Annual Report 



pectoral fins, had each a small quantity of food in their stomachs which 

 consisted entirely of Annelids and small Crustacea (apparently Crangon), 

 but the food was too imperfect to be satisfactorily determined. 



P. -J. van Beneden remarks {pp. cit., p. 18) that he has, in the month 

 of April, found the stomachs of young Rccia clavata about the size of the 

 palm of the hand full of Pseudocuma cercaria, Gammarus locusta and 

 Gcdanus Jinmarcliicus. Mr. Dunn of Mevagissey states that he has known 

 of quantities of Thornback Rays captured in the winter that were glutted 

 with Horse-Mackerel, and he also states that this Skate " is very partial 

 to Herrings and Sand-eels." 



Starry Ray. Rata radiata, Donovan. 



A considerable number of Starry Rays were captured about 180 miles 

 north-east of Buchan N'ess on May 22nd, 1901, but the stomachs of most 

 of them were empty, and any food observed consisted entirely of 

 Crustaceans, which appeared to consist for the most part of young 

 Decapods and Macrurae, but they were not perfect enough to be identified. 



Five Starry Rays captured 10 miles off Aberdeen on August 21st, 1901, 

 had all of them more or less food in their stomachs, and this, like that of 

 the Starry Rays previously noticed, consisted wholly of Crustacea ; these 

 fishes measured from 22 to 27| centimetres across the pectoral fins. The 

 food contained in the stomach of the smallest of these specimens Avas not 

 sufficiently perfect for identification ; the food in another was also a good 

 deal broken up, but the remains of a Hyas and Asfacilla were observed ; 

 other two stomachs contained Crangon cdlmanni and what looked like 

 the remains of Hyas, while the stomach of the other, which was the 

 largest of this sample of Starry Rays, contained Ehalia tuberosa, Portunus 

 ^nisUlus, young Hyas coarctatus, and Crangon allmanni. A considerable 

 number of specimens of what appears to be a new species of Eadactylina 

 were obtained on the gills of these Starry Rays, and several specimens of 

 Callicotyle Aroyerii, a Trematode not previously recorded from Scottish 

 waters, occurred on the ventral surface of several of these Rays. 



Eight specimens of Rata radiata captured in Aberdeen Bay on 

 November 29th and 30th were examined ; their sizes ranged from 5f to 

 11 f inches across the pectoral fins. The food found in their stomachs 

 consisted of various organisms, amongst which the remains of small fishes 

 were more or less frequent ; they included a small Cydopterus lumjms 

 and some small Clupeoids, Whitings, and Common Dabs ; a small Rossia 

 was found in one stomach, Crayigon vidgaris in six, and Schist omy sis 

 ornatus in two or three. There did not appear to be any material differ- 

 ence between the food observed in the stomach of the larger from that of 

 the smaller specimens. 



Sandy or Cuckoo Ray. Raia circular is, Couch. 



In the stomachs of two specimens of Raia circidaris obtained in the 

 Fish Market, Aberdeen, on April 9th, 1901, the only food observed 

 consisted of the remains of a few Sand-eels. Fish remains constituted 

 the only food found in the stomachs of several other specimens received 

 from the same place on April 11th. 



Five specimens captured in the Clyde on October 4th, 1901, and 

 measuring 12f, 13, 18, 18, and 19 centimetres across the pectoral fins, 

 were also examined. The stomach of one, 18 cm. in width, had nothing 

 in it that could be identified, but the others contained food which 

 consisted almost entirely of Crustacea and Annelids ; a few Foraminifera 

 were also observed. 



