42 CHONDEOPTERYOII. BATOIDEI. 



remains of great numbers of Crustacea of many kinds. The natives 

 assert that this ray swims slowly just above the bottom of the 

 sea not far from the shore, picking up what it can find. 



2. Genus RHINOBATUS, sp., Bl. Schn. 



Syn. Syrrina, Mull. & Henle. 



Body depressed and elongated. Spiracles wide, behind the eyes. 

 Snout elongated, the cranial cartilage produced and the interval 

 between it and the pectoral fin filled by a membrane. Nostrils 

 oblique and wide ; the anterior nasal valves not confluent. Teeth 

 obtuse, ridged. Dorsal fins spineless, both far behind the ventral ; 

 no lower caudal lobe. 



Geographical Distribution. Tropical and subtropical seas. Indi- 

 viduals are exceedingly numerous along the coast of India, and prefer 

 a sandy to a muddy bottom. Tickell observed that they have the 

 singular habit of coming so close to the edge of the water that the 

 retiring wave frequently leaves them, exposed to the air, in which 

 condition they contentedly remain allowing the surf to cover them 

 and desert them alternately. They often select a smooth, sloping, 

 sandy beach for this purpose, where they lie with their snouts 

 pointed seawards, so that if danger approaches they wriggle sea- 

 wards and swim awav with the next wave. 



Fig. 17. Rhinobatus gramdatus. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 

 Snout elongated; a row of spines along the 



middle of the back 1 . R, granulatus, p. 42. 



Snout rather obtuse ; a few blunted spines along 



the middle of the back 2. R. halavi, p. 43. 



Nostrils very large, their distance apart at the 



base being less than half their length .... 3. JR. thouini, p. 44. 

 Snout rather elongated ; a row of tubercles 



along the middle of the back 4. R. columnce, p. 44. 



44. (1.) Rhinobatus granulatus. (Fig. 17.) 

 Rlrinobatus granulatus, Cuv. Rtyn. Anim. ed. 2, ii, p. 396'; Miill. $ 

 Henle, Plagios. p. 117, t. xxxviii ; Day, Fish. India, p. 732, 

 pi. cxcii, fig. 2 (see synon.). 



Suttiivarah, Tel. ; Pur-run-gun, Tamil ; Cun-da-ree, Sind. ; Nga-man- 

 liaing, or Nga-man-kha, Burmese ; Mattia byllia, Chittagong. 



