THE RAY K I N 0. 213 



devour them: fomc have been fcen in England weighing two hundred 

 pounds; but that is nothing to their enormous bulk in other parts of the 

 world. Labat tells us of a prodigious Ray fpeared by the negroes at 

 Gaudaloupe, thirteen feet eight inches broad, ten feet from the fnout to 

 the infertion of the tail. The tail itfelf fifteen feet long; twenty inches 

 broad at its infertion, and tapering to a point. The body two feez in 

 depth; the fkin as thick as leather, and fpotted ; which fpots, in all of 

 this kind, are only glands, that fupply a mucus to lubricate and foften 

 the fkin. This enormous fifh was utterly unfit to be eaten by the Euro- 

 peans; but the negroes chofe out fome of the niceft bits, and carefully 

 falted them up as a mod favourit- provifion. Ulloa gives the fame ac- 

 count of a fifh in the South Seas, called the Manta or Quilt, from its wrap- 

 ping the divers to death in its fins ; for fear of which they always carry a 

 knife with them when they go down. Yet, large as this may feem, it is 

 probable that, as the largeft generally keep at the bottom, they are fel- 

 dom or never feen. It is generally iuppofed that of this kind are the 

 largeft inhabitants of the deep. 



The Ray generally chufes a black muddy bottom ; the large ones keep 

 at great depths ; the Imalicr approach the fhores, and feed on whatever 

 they can meet with. As they are ravenous, they eafilytake the bait, yet 

 ,will not touch it if it be taken up and kept a day or two out of water. Ge- 

 nerate in March and April ; at which time only they are feen fwimmingr 

 near the furface. They adhere fait together : the females are very pro- 

 lific, three hundred eggs having been taken out of the body of a fingle 

 Ray. Thefe are covered with a tough horny fubflancc, which they ac- 

 • quire in the womb. When come to proper maturity, they are excluded, 

 but never above one or two at a time, and often at intervals of three or 

 four hours; they begin in May. In October, when they ceafe, they are 

 exceedingly thin ; in November they begin to improve, and grow gra- 

 dually better till May, when they arc in the highefl perfection. 



The Ska:e and the Thornback are very good food ; and their fize,, which 

 is from ten pounds to two hundred weight, very well rewards the trou- 

 ble of fifhing for them. But it fometimes happens that the lines arc 

 vifited by very unwelcome intruders j by the rough ray, the firefiare, or 

 the torpedo. To thefe the fiihermen have moft mortal antipathy; and 

 fhudder at the fight ; for they fometimes feel the refentments of this an- 

 gry tribe ; and, inftead of a prize, find they have caught an enemv. 



The Rough ray inflicts but flight wounds with its prickles. The ig- 

 norant would at firit fight take it in his hand, without apprehenfion j 



P p 2 bttt 



