246 Papers from the Marine Biological Laboratory at Tortugas. 



were painted by Marcgrave himself. It seems equally clear that the oil 

 paintings were by a Dutch painter named Franz Poste, who accompanied 

 Count Maurice to Brazil. The whole matter of the paintings is discussed 

 in full in the sketch cited above. These paintings will be referred to later. 

 Some time during the years 1638-44 Marcgrave discovered, figured, 

 and described from Brazilian waters the spotted eagle ray, and inasmuch 

 as his original description and figure possess great historical as well as 

 scientific value, since they show what excellent work was done in a wild 

 and barbarous country nearly 275 years ago, by a man working under great 

 disadvantages but possessed of the true scientific spirit, they are herewith 

 reproduced from pages 175 and 176 of the above-mentioned work by Piso 

 and Marcgrave (1648) (text-fig. i): 



Of the several species of fish called "Narinari" by the Brazilians, the one which we 

 have described here is "Narinari pinima." It is called "Raja" by the Portuguese, and 

 " Pylsteerte" or "Steele" by the Dutch. It is a "Marina pastinaca." 



Its body is large, broad, almost triangular in 

 shape, extending out on both sides into very 

 broad triangular wings, which are fleshy in their 

 make-up. Near the tail it has two fins about the 

 size of one's hand, rounded in outline and of equal 

 length. Its head, which is thick, compressed, and 

 furrowed in the middle, is about as large as that of 

 a good-sized pig. 



The mouth rounded underneath is triangular, 

 compressed a little, and terminates in a snout. 

 The opening of the mouth is on the ventral sur- 

 face, 5 inches from the end of the snout. The 

 mouth is 2^/2 inches wide, toothless, but having 

 in the place of teeth a lower jaw in the shape of 

 a tongue. This is 4 inches long, i3^ inches wide, 

 and reaches to the external opening of the mouth. 

 Likewise, there is an upper jaw placed crosswise, 

 2 inches long and as many wide. 



The lower jaw consists of 17 hard white 

 bones having the shape of the letter U and firmly 

 joined to the membranes. Underneath there lie 

 17 other bones, one under each, of spongy ap- 

 pearance but not so hard. The upper jaw con- 

 sists of 14 bones, shaped like the letter J and also joined together by membranes. Likewise 

 14 other bones lie above these. Moreover the two jaws are joined to the other bones of 

 the head by membranes [cartilages?]. 



The cavity of the skull, wherein the brain lies, is about 6 inches long and hardly 2 

 wide. The snout is wholly cartilaginous. The fish has two small eyes about the size of a 

 nummus misnicus. Behind these eyes, on each side, is a large breathing-hole capable of 

 holding an apple of ordinary size. Within these holes the leaves of the gills lie hidden. 

 On the lower side at the [hinder] end of the head are five oblong incisions. 



The whole upper surface of the body is of a steel (ferreus) color with white spots the 

 size of a nummus misnicus scattered over it, while the under part is entirely white. The 

 skin is everywhere smooth and without scales. 



The length of the body from the end of the snout to the root of the tail is ij^ feet; 

 the width between the extremities of the triangular wings is 3 feet 10 inches. The length 

 of the fins near the tail is 7 inches, the width 4. The length of the head is 10 inches, the 



Text-fig. i. — Narinari, from 

 Marcgrave. 



