Holt and Calderwood — Report on the Rarer Fiahes. , 403 



Raia maculata, Montagu. The Homelyn. (Littoral.) 



Raia maculata, Montagu, " Wern. Mem.," ii., p. 426. 



,, „ Paenell, " Wern. Mem,," vii., p. 434. 



,, , ,, GuNTHER, " Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus.," viii., p. 458. 



(part), . . Day, "Fish. Grt. Brit.," ii., p. 345 (nee. fig.). 



Raia rubus, Donovan, " Brit. Fish.," i., pi. xx. 



Rata miraletus, Donovan, " Brit. Fish.," iv., pi. ciii. 



„ ,, Jenyns, " Manual," p. 518. 



„ „ Yarrell, "Brit. Fish." (3rd ed.), ii., p. 570. 



Raia asterias (part), . . . Moreau, " Poiss. de la Franc," i. p. 429. 



Spotted Ray (part), . . . Couch, " Brit. Fish.," i., p. 104. 



The following diagnosis is added for the purpose of fm-ther emphasising the 

 characters wliich separate this from the preceding species : — R. maculata reaches a 

 width of about twenty inches across the disk. Males become mature at a width of 

 about fifteen inches (or less ?). The egg-case about two and a-half inches long, 

 exclusive of attachment processes, is seen in Plate xliv., fig. ii. 



The extremity of the snout slightly projecting ; rounded in young, conical in 

 half-grown and adult examples ; rather sharply-pointed in old males. Anterior 

 margin of disk twice projecting in front of a straight line drawn from the tip of 

 the snout to the angle of the pectoral fin ; the convexities most apparent in adults, 

 especially males. 



The distance between the supra-orbital ridges equal to the length of the eye in 

 young ; one-third greater than that measurement in adults ; never greater than 

 the combined length of the eye and spii'acle. 



The length of the snout from 5^ to 5i times, and the distance between the tip 

 of the snout and the anterior edge of the coracoid from 2|- in young to 2|- time?, 

 in adults, in the width of the disk. 



The supra- orbital ridges usually with two spines at each end. A row of 

 spines along the median line from behind the head, the last spine usually 

 between the dorsal fins. In young examples only tivo species of this row are in front 

 of the level of the shoulder. In half -grown and adult examples spines usually absent 

 from in front of the shoulder ; if present, very small ; in males usually absent 

 from in front of the pelvic region. A row of spines on each side of the tail 

 in young examples ; may be absent in half -grown examples ; usually incomplete 

 or absent in adult males ; irregularly double in its anterior third in large females. 

 Small spines along the rostral ridges, and a spine on each shoulder in young 

 examples. 



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