402 Survey of Fishing -Grounds, West Coast of Ireland, 1890—1891. 



The R. asterias of Moreau appears, so far as that author's somewhat loose 

 mode of expression permits us to judge, to comprise both the Blonde and the 

 Homelyn. It is certainly not the R. asterias of Miiller and Henle. His 

 description of the border of spines along the anterior margin of the under surface 

 of the disk appears to indicate one of the most pronounced features of the Blonde; 

 but in his description of the dorsal surface, as being almost smooth with slight 

 spinules on the anterior margin of the pectorals, and around the scapular arch, he 

 certainly must have had the appearance frequently found in the Homelyn 

 present to his mind. 



Under the name of R. hrachyura, Lafont* described and figured a spotted ray, 

 which was certainly not a Homelyn, and may possibly have been a Blonde. The 

 description, however, is quite inadequate, while the figure is primitive in the 

 extreme. The formula of the linear species agree with that of either R. blanda 

 or R. maculata. Six are shown in the median series extending from behind the 

 level of the spiracles to the abdominal region, the series reappearing posteriorly 

 on the tail. 



The snout is short, the disk, according to the drawing, rhomboidal, with six 

 large white spots on each wing. Smaller dark spots are universally distributed 

 over the disk, except on the head, but are not shown as surrounding the pale areas. 

 It is noted that the latter have been made rather too conspicuous by the artist. 

 The tail is stated to be broad and flat, and much shorter than the disk, though 

 this last character (as compared with other species) is not brought out by the 

 measurements given. There are said to be eighty-five rows of teeth in the jaws, 

 but the size of the individual from which this observation was taken is not 

 mentioned. The teeth resemble those of the side rows of a young R. batis. 

 Certain measurements are given of two specimens, from which it appears that the 

 proportions of the length and breadth of the disk and the length of the tail do not 

 conspicuously differ from those of either the Blonde or the Homelyn. It further 

 appears that the diameter (longitudinal or transverse ?) of the eye is contained five 

 and a-half times in the width of the inter-orbital space. The individuals measured 

 are, an immatux-e male 88 cm. long, and as female 113 cm. long. 



It is expressly stated that neither spines nor " aiguillons" exist on the under 

 surface, but it is not certain whether these terms can be interpreted to include 

 asperities or minute spinules such as form so well-marked a feature on the under 

 surface of the Blonde. The omission of all reference to such asperities renders it 

 quite impossible to identify R. brachyura with R. blanda, while the general 

 inadequacy of the description renders it equally impossible to say what sjDCcies 

 Lafont had before him. It may possibly have been R. asterias (Miiller and Henle). 

 The specimens were obtained from the Gironde and from Arcachon, where the 

 species is known to fishermen as the Raia blanche or lisse. 



* " Soc. Linn. Bordeaux," xxviii., 1873, p. 503, pi. 25. 



