7V/ A" . AMI 211 



i>\ it. thf Sting Ray is furnish,.,! with a weaion even more to be dreaded, and capable ,.f 

 causing a .still more serious injm\. 



Tli- tail its,. If ,,f this s| M .,-i,-s i- ;,,(!-, tl,.\il,|... whip-like, and smooth, so that were It 

 unaid.-d liy any additional armature, it could only mllict a sharp and slinging blow, which, 

 however painful, would ,1 no more damage than tin- rut of a horsewhip. 'I'll,. tail i- : 

 ther armed with a projevtinu bony spin,.. \,-i\ sharp at the jH.int. ami furnishi-d along 

 U.tli edtf-s with sharp cuttiim t^-th. When attacked or irritated, th,- Sting Ray sudd.-nU 



sf " whip like tail around tl tTender in lass,, fashion, ami holding him tighil\ 



against the tarbed spin,.. wields th,- latt.-r with such strength and rapidity that it lacerated 

 tin- flesh to a frightful and dangerous ,-xt-nt, in som,- cases even causing the death of the 

 \ i'-tim. 



Along the coast, where the offensive powers of this fish are familiarly and practically 

 know n, an opinion prevails that the bony spin,, is suppij,.<i with jioison. This notion, how- 

 ex er, is one of the many ]>opular errors on similar subjects, having l*en founded on the 

 ai;::ra\:ited intl.mmi:iii..:i thai sometimes follows the wooadtCa-iised l>\ tli- Stin- Ua\ . Th.-r.. 

 is no ]M>ison what-\-,-r in this lx>ne, and any such symptoms are due, not to the inherent venom 

 of the weapon, but to the unsound constitution of the sufferer. 



The reader will at ono- ]-rceive the exact resemblance between the spine of the Sting Ray 

 and the rnany-barl>ed spears used by the savage inhabitants of the Pacific islands. In fact, this 

 spine not only furnished them with tin- original idea of those cruel wea|>ons. but is constantly 

 taken from the fish and affixed to the shaft of a lance. In their eyes, its great merit and one 

 which they imitate in their manufactured weapons is that when the spear is struck into the 

 body of a foe, the jagged blade is sure to snap asunder at the j>oint where it enters the body, 

 |.-a\im: several barbs tixed in the wound without any handle by which they may I withdrawn. 



It is found that in the Sting Ray, a second spine exists below the first, which is provided 

 in order to supply the place of the first in case it should be broken off or dragged out. 



The Sting Ray is in some places called the FIRE PLAIRE, probably on account <>f the very 

 I color of the flesh when cut open. This fish is not approved for the table, la-ing rank and 

 disagreeable in flavor. 



The color of the Sting Hay is grayish -yellow above, taking a slaty-blue tint towards the 

 middle of the body, and spotted with brown when the creature is young. Below, it is white. 

 The eyes are golden color, the temporal orifice behind each eye is extremely large, and the tail 

 is very thick and muscular at the base. The .spin,- is set about one-third of ite length from the 

 base. The mouth and teeth are small. 



The Sting Ray of our waters is the same as that of Europe. It ranges from Cape Cod 

 to Florida. In various places it is called Whip Ray, Clam-cracker, and Sting-a-ree, or Whip- 

 sting Ray. A large form is common off Long Island, \\ ith tail of five feet in length. 



Ix some respects, such as the long tail and double-barbed spine with which it is armed, 

 the EAOLE RAT (Myliobati* aij>iil<i\ bears some resemblance to the preceding species, but 

 must be distinguished from that fish by the projecting head, the blunt ness of the snout, the 

 very great length and comparative tenuity of the tail, the shortness of the spine, and the 

 diminutive .]/, of the temporal a]>ertures. In some places this IM, is called the Whip Ray, 

 in allusion t<> the extreme length of the slender tail. 



The flesh of the Eagle Ray is not eaten, being hard, rank, am! disagreeable, but the liver 

 is thought to be eatable, and a larp- quantity of irood oil is obtained from it. It sometimes 

 attains to a very huge size, wei-hinir as much as ,-i-ht hundred pounds. Its color is daik 

 brown above, deepening towards the edges, and gra\ ish-w hite below. 



The Eagle Ray is a Mediterranean sjM-oes. found occasionally in Kndish waters. Its 

 great winir-like sides ^ive it a resemblance to a bird. Its long tail and double luirbed spine at 

 its base give it a most singular and vicious aspect. 



BKFORK quitting these fish entirely, a short notice must be given of several interesting 

 species, of which figures cannot be inserted for want of space. 



