314 Papers from the Marine Biological Laboratory at Tortugas. 



(as has been shown elsewhere) this is probably incorrect. We are not ev^en 

 sure that it is an Aetobatus, since the teeth are not described. Figure 20, 

 plate VIII, is a photograph of this Shaw-Lacepede-Commerson figure. 



The only other reference to this ray which the writer has found is in 

 Annandale's " Batoidei of the Indian Ocean" (1909). This author says 

 that it is very common in the Bay of Bengal. From his three (two young, 

 one mature) specimens, Annandale thus describes its color: 



Dorsal surface of young of a uniform dark slate-gray, without trace of spots. The 

 spots of the disk on the adult are confined to the posterior half. They are of a bluish tint 

 and are edged with a faint greenish halo. Their size varies considerably. The ground color 

 of the back of the adult has, in fresh specimens, a beautiful greenish refulgence. 



Text-figure 6, from Annandale, gives the under side of the head of each 

 of the three definitely established Aetobatines, A. narinari, A. flagellum, 

 A. guttata. The subjoined table, in which certain characters in these three 

 rays are compared, is also from Annandale. The data for A. narinari are 

 taken by Annandale from Jordan and Evermann's text and figures (1896 

 and 1898), that for the other two from fresh specimens of the Indian forms. 



It will be noted that Annandale's description agrees with Lacepede's 

 figure quite well. It is to be regretted that he has not given us a more 

 minute description of this ray, whose very existence has been much doubted, 

 and especially that he has not given us a figure. In his paper he does not 

 indicate that A. narinari is found in the Indian Ocean, and possibly if 

 the matter were gone into with sufficient care and accuracy it might be 

 found that all these Indian and Pacific Aetobatines with spots only on the 

 posterior half of the body belong under A. guttata. 



Since the above was written, I have received a copy of Annandale's 

 second paper (1910), which very satisfactorily explains the lack of spots 

 on the anterior parts of A. narinari. He is quoted in full on page 271. 



Aetobatu.s latirostris. 



August Dumeril in 1861 described from the region of the Gaboon River, 

 west Africa, a new Aetobatine, A. latirostris, differing from A. narifiari in 

 having a shorter and broader snout, with more pronounced cephalic fins, 



