632 



A HISTORY OF 



CHAPTER CXLIV. 



OF CARTILAGINOUS FLAT-FISH, OR THE RAY KIND. 



THE same rapacity which impels the shark 

 along the surface of the water, actuates the 

 flat fish at the bottom. Less active, and less 

 formidable, they creep in security along the 

 bottom, seize every thing that comes in their 

 way ; neither the hardest shells nor the sharp- 

 est spines give protection to the animals that 

 bear them; their insatiable hunger is such 

 that they devour all; and the force of their 

 stomach is so great, that it easily digests them. 



The whole of this kind resemble each other 

 very strongly in their figure; nor is it easy, 

 without experience, to distinguish one from 

 another. The stranger to this dangerous tribe 

 may imagine he is only handling a skate, when 

 he is instantly struck numb by the torpedo; 

 he may suppose he has caught a thorn-back, 

 till he is stung by the fire-flare. It will be 

 proper, therefore, after describing the gene- 

 ral figure of these animals, to mark their dif- 

 ferences. 



All fish of the ray kind are broad, cartila- 

 ginous, swimming flat on the water, and ha- 

 ving spines on different parts of their body, 

 or at the tail. They all have their eyes and 

 mouth placed quite under the body, with aper- 

 tures for breathing either about or near them. 

 They all have teeth, or a rough bone, which 

 answers the same purpose. Their bowels 

 are very wide towards the mouth, and go on 

 diminishing to the tail. The tail is very dif- 

 ferently shaped from that of other fishes ; and 

 at first sight more resembling that of a quad- 

 ruped, being narrow, and ending either in a 

 bunch or a point. But what they are chief- 

 ly distinguished by, is, their spines or prickles, 

 which the different species have on different 

 parts of their body. Some are armed with 

 spines both above and below ; others have 

 them on the upper part only ; some have their 

 spines at the tail ; some have three rows of 

 them, and others but one. These prickles in 

 some are comparatively soft and feeble; those 

 of others, strong and piercing. The smallest 



of these spines are usually inclining towards 

 the tail ; the larger towards the head. 



It is by the spines that these animals are 

 distinguished from each other. The skate 

 has the middle of the back rough, and a sin- 

 gle row of spines on the tail. The sharp- 

 nosed ray has ten spines that are situated to- 

 wards the middle of the back. The rough 

 ray has its spines spread indiscriminately over 

 the whole back. The thorn-back has its 

 spines disposed in three rows upon the back 

 The fire-flare has but one spine, but that in- 

 deed a terrible one. This dangerous wea- 

 pon is placed on the tail, about four inches 

 from the body, and is not less than five inches 

 long. It is of a flinty hardness, the sides thin, 

 sharp-pointed, and closely and sharply beard- 

 ed the whole way. The last of this tribe that 

 I shall mention is the torpedo; and this ani- 

 mal has no spines that can wound ; but in the 

 place of them it is possessed of one of the most 

 potent and extraordinary faculties in nature. 



Such are the principal differences that may 

 enable us to distinguish animals, some of 

 which are of very great use to mankind, from 

 others that are terrible and noxious. With 

 respect to their uses, indeed, as we shall soon 

 see, they differ much; but the similitude 

 among them, as to their nature, appetites, and 

 conformation, is perfect and entire. They 

 are all as voracious as they are plenty ; and 

 as dangerous to a stranger as is useful to him 

 who can distinguish their differences. 



Of all the larger fish of the sea, these are the 

 most numerous; and they owe their numbers 

 to their size. Except the while shark and 

 cachalot alone, there is no other fish that has 

 a swallow large enough to take them in; and 

 their spines make them a still more danger- 

 ous morsel. Yet the size of soinr is such, 

 that even the shark himself is unable to de- 

 vour them : we have seen some of them in 

 England weigh above two hundred pounds; 

 but that is nothing to their enormous bulk in. 



