266 HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



beaches, swimming in shallow water. I have seen it at Provincetown, in great numbers, 

 thrown upon the shores. It is so common at Nahant, that Mr. Jonathan Johnson, a fish- 

 erman of that place, informs me that it is not an unusual circumstance when a large 

 number of hooks attached to the same line are baited, for a skate to be captured by each 

 of them. 



The specimen from which the above description and accompanying drawing were 

 made, was taken with a hook from one of the bridges over Charles River. 



I have never known them to be used as an article of food by our people, although 

 Dekay says they are eaten in New York, by the jjoorer classes. 



Massachusetts, Storer. Connecticut, Linsley. New York, Mitchill, Dekay. 



Raia ljevis. Mitch. 



Tlie Smooth Skate. 



(Plate XXXIX. Fig. 2.) 



Raia Irnvis, Smooth-backed Skate, MiTcn., Amer. Month. May 11, p. 327. 

 " batis, Skate, Stoeek, Eeport, p. 193. 

 " lavis, Smooth Skate, Dekay, Report, p. 370. 

 " batis, Skate, Linsley, Cat. of Fishes of Connecticut. 

 " lavis, Stoker, Synopsis, p. 511. 



Color. Above, of a light ash color, with a few indistinct symmetrically arranged yellow- 

 ish ocelli ; one in front of, and exterior to each eye ; two posterior and exterior to each 

 eye ; two at the posterior base of each pectoral fin, and one on each ventral fin. All 

 the under portion of the body is of a dingy white color. Pupils black ; hides silvery, with 

 a beautiful golden fringed curtain suspended from above. 



Description. Rhomboidal. The entire length of the head is nearly equal to one 

 fourth the length of the fish ; the head is much compressed, with a furrow between the 

 eyes, which extends to the posterior portion of the snout. Snout slightly blunted. The 

 eyes are oblong and moderate in size. The distance between the eyes is less than one 

 fourth the length of the head. The gape of the mouth is large. The jaws are composed 

 of compact, hexcedral teeth, forming almost a plane surface, the inner angle of the inner- 

 most middle ones, beginning to become acute. The nostrils are a short distance in front 

 of the mouth. Branchial apertures situated obliquely, the anterior the longest. The 

 greater part of the body is smooth above. A strong spine, naked at its tip, is situated 

 at the anterior angle of each eye, and a smaller one exists at the posterior angle ; back 

 of the latter, is a strong spine at the posterior inner edge of the temporal orifices. A se- 

 ries of very minute spines along the inner edge of the orbit. The top of the snout is 



