168 Thornback and Homelyn or Spotted Ray. 



in the spring time. The spawning grounds seem rather in 

 the deeper waters. In the earlier times the marketable fish 

 were sent to London with the skate and cod. Noivadays 

 none go there. The larger ones are taken by the fish 

 trawlers to Sheerness and Chatham, and others with the 

 " maids " dressed or crimped are sold in Leigh and neigh- 

 bourhood. The latter are reckoned quite a dainty. Indeed, 

 when the " wings " (pectoral fins) are fried, with egg and 

 bread-crumbs or batter, in boiling fat, they truly are delicate 

 sweet eating, very easy of digestion yet nutritious. What 

 the shrimpers capture and keep are brought to Leigh, and 

 either passed over to the hawkers or reserved for home 

 consumption. 



(6) The HOMELYN or SPOTTED RAY (R. maculata) is got in 

 goodly numbers on E. and S. Kent, viz. : off the Goodwins, 

 Dover, and along Dymchtirch Bay, &c. It has not been 

 mentioned as among the fishes of Essex by Laver. But un- 

 doubtedly it inhabits the Thames estuarine area from the 

 Maplins eastwards amongst the Swins and Deeps, as also the 

 sands bearing towards Margate and the Kentish Flats. It was 

 well known to the Leighmen when long-lining, and regularly 

 hooked along with the skate, thomback and cod. There can be 

 no mistake as to its identity, for old hands have accurately 

 described to us its roundish shape, smooth and dusky spotted 

 back and other characters. Besides, it was and is still dis- 

 tinguished by name among them as the Homelyn. Those then 

 hooked varied in size from a foot to 18 inches wide or there- 

 abouts ; therefore generally inferior in size to the skate and 

 " rokers " caught at the same time. Only the large ones were 

 sent to Billingsgate, and these altogether were not many. Of 

 the small ones the " wings " only were kept as a tit-bit for 

 the fisherman's family. 



Young examples are reported as at wide intervals having 

 been got almost as high as the Nore ; but we have only seen 

 an odd small one in corroboration of their estuarine catch. 



