583 CHONDHOPTERYGII. 



the Rays, remarking that this and the species S. Dumerili, found 

 on the American coast, have the two dorsals and the caudal fin 

 in shape and situation the same as what is seen in the Torpedoes. 

 The length of the American species is from three to four feet. 

 It is said to have acquired the name of Angel-fish from its ex- 

 tended pectoral fins having the appearance of wings; and it is 

 called MONK-FISH, because its rounded head appears as if envel- 

 oped in a hood. 



The SAW-FISH, Pristis, (Gr. pristis, a saw,) has the body 

 flattened in front, with the gill-openings beneath, as in the Rays; 

 but they are chiefly distinguished by a very long snout, which is 

 in form like the blade of a two-edged sword, and armed on each 

 side with pointed bony spines. This saw-like weapon, the fish 

 often buries in the flesh of the whale and other marine animals. 

 The Saw-fish is sometimes included with the Rays. 



(35) Raiida, the RAYS. 



These are a family of fishes which have the body flattened as 

 in the Saw-fish, and the pectorals greatly enlarged, as in the An- 

 gel-fish, both which, in their structure, seem to approach the pres- 

 ent group. In the Rays, the pectorals are very broad and 

 continuous with the head, sometimes stretching out in front of 

 it in the form of lobes, so that these fishes present an appear- 

 ance disk-like, or more or less rhomboidal, the snout forming one 

 corner, and the projecting tail another ; the other two corners 

 being the angles of the pectoral fins ; the ventrals, in the males, 

 have appendages like those of the Sharks; the dorsal fins, two, 

 sometimes three in number, are small, and placed far back on 

 the slender tail. The eyes are on the upper surface, as are also 

 the temporal spiracles ; the mouth, the nostrils, and the gill-open- 

 ings are placed in the under surface, and thus concealed from 

 view. The mouth is small and set with numerous teeth, which 

 are placed in close array, like paving stones. As in many of 

 the Sharks, the eyes have a nictitating membrane or skin which 

 can be drawn over the eye at pleasure, and serves as an eye-lid. 

 The young of the Rays are enveloped at birth in capsules of 

 a thin horny or leathery substance to which filaments are attached. 

 The prolongations of the angles of the envelope give it^some re- 

 semblance in shape to a hand-barrow. But the most distinguish- 

 ing peculiarity of the Rays is their barbs or prickles, varying in 

 length, according to the size of the fish, by which they are able 

 to tear the flesh and inflict severe wounds. These fishes are 

 strictly ground feeders, groveling along on the soft muddy bot- 

 tom, and moving with a peculiar undulating action of the pecto- 

 ral fins. 



