54 ClIOXJJUOi'TKHVUll. B.VTOIDEI. 



l/d!>. K"d Sea, si -as and estuaries of India to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago, and China, also the Cape of Good Hope. The immature 

 are frequently captured in the back-waters, and wounds from their 

 caudal spines are much dreaded. The species attains a large size ; 

 5 feet or more across the disk. The late Sir W. Elliot observed 

 that from a female of this species 13 feet long (including the tail 

 8 feet 9 in.) a young was removed perfectly formed and of the 

 same colour as its mother. In the cold season, as about October, 

 these fish are frequently perceived springing out of the water for 

 some distance in the same manner as trout do just prior to 

 brri'ding. They devour large quantities of small fish, Crustacea, 

 mollusks, &c. 



58. (7.) Trygon marginatus. 



Trygon marginatus, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxix, 18 JO, p. 38; Dai/, 

 Fish. India, p. 738 (see synon.). 



Disk slightly broader than long, tail from one half longer than 

 the disk to nearly twice as long. The width of the interorbital 

 space equals the length of the snout. Tubercles sparsely set all 

 over the upper surface, but a little larger along the median line, 

 where they appear like small limpets ; an irregular row of pointed 

 tubercles on either side of the middle line of the back ; tail tuber- 

 culated as far as its spine, but destitute of any fin. Colour grey 

 above ; buffy white below, with a dark border, except in front. 



Eah. Hooghly at Calcutta. I examined an example in which 

 the disk was 16 inches across and 15 long; Blyth observed one 

 specimen which was 52, and another 60, inches across the disk, 

 and the tubercles were extended on to the edge of the disk and 

 even to its under surface. This would therefore appear to be a 

 result of age. 



5U. (8.) Trygon bleekeri. . 



Trygon bleekeri, Blyfh, J. A. S. B. xxix, 1860, p. 41 ; Day, Fi*h. 



'India, p. 738, pi. cxcv, fig. 3 (see synon.). 

 Pakat, Marathi ; Seman tirike, Tarn. 



Tail from three to four times as long as the disk. Snout pro- 

 longed and pointed. Width of interorbital space equal to i or $ 

 the length of the snout anterior to the eye. A large round tubercle 

 in the middle of the back, and commonly before it three smaller 

 ones triangularly disposed, and three similarly placed behind it. 

 Tubercles sometimes present along the upper surface of the tail to 

 the caudal spine, from whence, in adults, they are continued to 

 its extremity. Colour " Brown above and below, with a narrow 

 white median longitudinal patch on the abdomen " (Blyth). Some- 

 times this ray is brown above with the margins of the disk dark. 



Hab. Bengal. Blyth observed one 25 inches long to base of tail, 

 the tail 72 inches ; another 15 and 56 inches. 





