PISCES. 63 



Some species, with very long pectoral fins, and thus a very broad disc, 

 resemble in some degree the preceding genera, but have a short taiL (Sp. 

 Raja altavela L., Syst. not. ed. x. BONAP. 1. 1. Tab. 158, from the Medi- 

 terranean Sea.) These species form the genus Pteroplatea MUELL. and 

 HENLE. 



Eaja L. (in part). Pectoral fins surrounding the head produced 

 far as the ventral fins. Disc of body rhombic. Tail slender, 

 lepressed, without spur, bipinnate above, with a membranous 

 )order at the sides. Teeth crowded, rhombic, flat, sometimes, 

 specially in males, acute. 



This genus is the most numerous in species of the family. These species 

 are often oviparous, whilst all the other rays are viviparous. 

 Sp. Raja clavata L. (and Raja rulus GM.), BLOCK Ichth. Tab. 83, 84, FRIES, 

 ECKSTEOEM och SuNDEVALL Scandinavians Fiskar, Tab. 35. The body is 

 thickly beset above with small booklets and some larger spines, which arise 

 from a flat round root like the head of a nail; upper "surface a dull-brown, 

 lower white ; this species becomes i 3 feet large, &c. See, further, ROBIN 

 Sur un appareil gui se trouve de chaque c6te de la queue sur les poissons 

 du genre Raja. Ann. des Sc. Nat. 3ieme SeVie, Tom. vn. Zool. 1845, pp. 

 195, 302. PI. 3, 4. 



The ventral fins are usually deeply incised and divided into two lobes. 

 From a species in which this was not observed, MUELLEE and HENLE form 

 the genus Sympterygia. 



B. Tail fleshy, fusiform. 



Torpedo DUMER. Body covered by naked unarmed skin, dis- 

 eiform, rotundate. Tail pinnate at the point ; dorsal fin above the 

 ;ail, mostly double. Teeth conical, acuminate, crowded. 



Temera GRAY. Dorsal fin none. Teeth flat. 



Sp. Temera Hardwckii GBAY. 



Torpedo auctor. (Astrape MUELL. and HENLE, Narcine HENLE, 

 and Torpedo MUELL. and HENLE). Dorsal fin sometimes single 

 (A strape), mostly double. Teeth acute. 



Compare J. F. M. VON OLFEES, Die Gattung Torpedo in ihren natur- 

 JiistoriscTien und antiquarischen Beziehungen erlautert. Mit 3 Tafeln. Berlin, 

 1831 ; F. G-. J. HENLE Ueber Narcine, eine neue Gattung, nebst einer 

 Synopsis der electrischen FlscJie. Mit 4 Steintafeln. Berlin, 1834, 4to. 



The species from'the Mediterranean all belong to the sub-genus Torpedo 

 of the moderns; the exotic species to Narcine (Narcine and Astrape), with 

 small teeth in alternate rows on a plate projecting from the mouth. The 

 name Raja Torpedo of the Systema natures is a collective name, for LiN- 

 N-EUS referred all his descriptions of these fishes to a single species. 



These fishes (Napntj, Torpedo, Zttterroche, Krampfrosche) have 

 been long known, and were recorded by the antients on account of 



