FLAT-SIDED AND FLAT-BACKED FISHES 411 



One of the most certain means of ascertaining the best bait 

 is to hold an autopsy, and discover on what a fish has been 

 feeding. Couch, who tried this experiment, found in a large 

 skate, two big plaice, two mackerel, a lobster, a ray about 

 eighteen inches long, and half a salmon. This finding 

 certainly indicates a considerable and remarkable range in our 

 choice of baits. 



Mr. Dunn, of Mevagissey, discovered inside one of these fish 

 a stone weighing about a pound. As a matter of fact, the skate 

 is not particular ; place a small whiting, a haddock, a herring, 

 a pilchard, or any kind of fish on a large hook, and he will be 

 pleased to take it. Very often he will hook himself by the 

 wing or fin as he flaps along the bottom. Large numbers are 

 caught in trawls, and not a few on long lines. 



Young skate are termed maids. The largest British fish of 

 this kind is the white skate (Raia alba}. Couch named it the 

 Burton skate or bordered ray, and it is also called May skate, 

 the doctor, friar skate, and sharp-nosed ray. One of nearly 

 500 Ibs. has been recorded. Other varieties are the long-nosed 

 skate (Raiaoxyrhynchus) and the shagreen ray (Raia fullonica}. 



The RAYS are much like the skates, but are shorter or 

 blunter in the snout, and, in addition to certain dangerous 

 thorn-like teeth or claws which project from the tail, have similar 

 weapons of defence and offence along the ridge of the back- 

 bone and sometimes adorning their heads. First comes 



The THORNBACK RAY so called from these said adorn- 

 ments. Raia clavata is the scientific name. Fishermen usually 

 drop the ' ray,' and merely call them ' thornbacks,' which 

 answers every purpose. These fish are found on almost every 

 part of our coast, and are particularly abundant round the 

 north-western islands of Scotland. They are deemed fairly 

 good eating if not too large. In Scotland they are often salted, 

 but some fishermen merely dry them. 



