236 



THOENBACK STING EAY. 



Dutch : Fiog; French : llaie houcUe) is dispersed through- 

 out the British seas, and almost everywhere caught in 

 numbers. There is no difficulty in distinguishing it, as 

 it is known at once by being studded at intervals all over 

 the surface with rounded nail-like tubercles, which ter- 

 minate in strong curved spines. The tail is armed with 

 several rows of spines, and a single row runs up the 

 dorsal ridge. The prevailing colour is brown, with 

 numerous lighter spots ; the colour beneath is pm-e 

 white, with a few spines only. 



The Small-eyed, or Painted Eay (Bala microceUata)^ 

 and the Starry Ray are both very rare and little 

 known. 



The Sting Eay, Fire Flare, or Fiery Flaw (German : 

 Der Stechroc/ien ; Danish : Pilrokke), is frequent on the 



STING RAY [Eaia pastinaca, Trygon ixistinaca). 



southern coas-ts, from Sussex as far west as the county of 

 Cork in Ireland. The manner in which it defends itself 

 is by twisting its long, slender, and flexible tail round 

 the object of attack, and tearing the surface with the 

 serrated spine, lacerating it in a manner calculated to 

 l^roduce violent inflammation. I have dissected and 



