56 CHONDliOPTERYGII. BA.TOIDEI. 



to its extremity. Body and tail either smooth or furnished with 

 tubercles. 



Geographical Distribution. From the Eed Sea and east coast of 

 Africa through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and 

 tropical America. 



61. (1.) Tseniura melanospilos *. 



Tseniura melanospilos, Sleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. 2nd. 1853, iv, p. 513 ; 



Day, Fish. India, p. 740 (see synon.J. 

 Jtiwja tirike, Tel. 



Disk rather broader than long ; its upper surface smooth. Tail 

 very thick at its base, with two strong flattened elongated spiues 

 (upper 9, lower 5 inches long) serrated externally. From 

 opposite these spines on the lower surface of the tail commences a 

 broad cutaneous fold, which is continued to the extremity of the 

 tail, and on its upper surface are numerous tubercles of the same 

 character as on the tail. The colours have not been noted. 



Two examples were captured in 1853 off the Coromandel coast, 

 where they were said by the fishermen to be very rare. One had 

 its disk 4 ft. 11 in. long and 5 ft. 11 in. broad ; the other disk was 

 4 ft. 1 in. long by 5 ft. 11 in. wide. Inside the stomach of the 

 latter were found the remains of some small crabs and a squilla. 

 It was, however, expressly stated that the body was smooth, but the 

 tail covered with rough tubercles, all of which had a stellated base. 



Hob. Eed Sea and Coromandel coast of India to Batavia. 



4. Genus PTEROPLATEA, Mull. & Heule. 

 Syn. JEtoplatea, Mull. & Henle. 



Body at least twice as broad as long ; tail thin, generally shorter 

 than the body, with or without a rudimentary iin, but having a 

 serrated spine ; spiracles with or without a tentacle ; nasal valves 

 confluent, and forming a quadrangular flap. No papilla at bottom 

 of the mouth. Teeth with from one to three cusps. Pectoral fins 

 united in front. Skin smooth or tubercular. 



Geographical Distribution. Tropical and temperate seas. 



62. (1.) Pteroplatea micrura. (Fig. 23.) 



Kaja micrura, Bl. Schn. Syst. Ich. p. 360. 



Pteroplatea micrura, Day, Fish. India, p. 741, pi. cxciv, fig. 2. 



* TJSNIUUA LYMMA, Forsk&l. 



Disk rather longer than broad ; a few spines along the middle of the back. 

 Two long papillse at the bottom of the mouth. Colour grey, with round blue 

 dark-edged spots ; a bluish band along either side of the tail. 



Hab. Eed Sea, coast of Africa to the Malay Archipelago ; this ray con- 

 sequently may probably be found off the coast of India. 



