THE FISHES OF THE IXGOLF EXPEDITIONS. 



Skates (Rays): the genus Raja. 



Raja hyperborea Collett. 

 Collett: Den norske Nordhavs Expedition. Fiskene. p. 9, pi. I, fig. 1 — 2. 



Gunther: Report on the deep-sea fishes. Expedition of the Challenger, p. 8, pi. IV, A, B, C. 

 Also figured in Go ode & Bean: Oceanic Ichthyology , pi. IX, fig. 28, and by Smitt in Skandi- 



naviens Fiskar , p. tuo — 11, fig. 317- 18. 



The Norvegian Xorth-sea-expeditiou caught a male specimen, about 20 inches (5i8 mm ) long at 



a depth of 459 fathoms, 115 kilometres West of Spitsbergen (Xorskoerne). The Knight Errant 



captured in the Faroe-Channel a larger male, 24 1 2 inches long, at 608 fathoms together with 2 smaller 



females (6 1 2 inches) and a female (8 inches); a very young male was captured at 400 fathoms. On the 



Ingolf -expeditions were caught 3 specimens, 2 females and a male, similar in size to those of the 



Voringen . The localities were the following: 



lion 113 (to the south of Jan Mayen), 69' 31' Lat. Xorth, -,' 06' Longitud. West, the depth 1309 



fathoms. Temperature at the bottom -=- 1 .0 C, nature of the bottom: Biloai/ii/a-c\a.y. A female, 



243''., inches long from the point of the snout to the end of the tail, greatest breadtli 20 1 , inch. 

 Station 140 (North of the Faroe Islands), 63° 29' Lat. Xorth, 6 3 57' Long. West, depth 780 fathoms. 



Temperature at the bottom -=- o.°9 C, its nature: gray mud. A female, its length 21 1 2 inch, 



breadth 17 inches. 

 .Station 141 (Xorth of the Faroe Islands), 63' 22' Lat. Xorth, 6 C 58' Long. West, depth 679 fathoms. 



Temperature at the bottom -=-o°.6 C. Gray mud. Male: length 25 inches, breadth 18 inches. 

 The description of Prof. Collett may be compared with that of Dr. Gunther, loco citato. In 

 this Arctic Ray there is apparently no difference according to age in the physiognomy, contour etc. 

 Nevertheless it should be noted, that the delicate dorsal spinous clothing has a larger or more 

 complete extension in the young specimen figured by Gunther than in the known larger individuals. 

 The differences attributable to individual variation and appearing by a comparison between the spe- 

 cimens of Collett and Gunther are enumerated by Lilljeborg (Sveriges och Xorges Fiskar III, 

 p. 604) and by Smitt (Skandinaviens Fiskar p. 1112). 



I shall add some remarks on the variations in shape, spinulation etc. which make themselves 

 apparent when comparing the specimens before me, two of which are females. The typical specimen 

 of Collett has on both sides 3 larger spines in a series inside of the upper margin of the eye, the 

 first pair before a line between the anterior margin of the eyes, the hindmost close behind a line 

 between the posterior margin of the parietal foramina. There are further 2 pair of shoulder spines 

 and in the middle line of the body a series of 26 spines and a small spine between the 2 dorsal fins. 

 This little spine is wanting in all our 3 specimens and should therefore be omitted in the specific 

 diagnosis. The supraorbital spines are in all as indicated above, if one of them is not lost on one 

 side, as is apparently the case in one of them. The shoulder spines may be in 2 or 3 pairs. In the 

 inpaired dorsal line the number of spines may be from 21 to 31. The teeth are delicate and acute 



show no sexual difference with the exception that one female (from station 140) is almost quite 

 toothless. Two of our specimens are on the back uniformly dark brown, as are those from the 



