CARTILAGINOUS FLAT FISH. 309 



swim flat upon the water, and have spines on the dif- 

 ferent parts of their body or tail : their eyes and mouth 

 are placed under their body, with apertures for breath- . 

 ing through very near ; and they all have teeth, or a 

 rough bone which answers the same purpose and de- 

 sign. Their tail is differently shaped to that of other 

 fishes, and more resembling those of the quadruped 

 kind, being narrow, and ending in a bunch at the 

 point. It has been observed, that all fish of this de- 

 scription have some parts of their bodijes furnished 

 with spines. The middle of the skate's back is ex- 

 tremely rough, and it has only a single row of spines 

 upon the tail. The sharp-nosed ray has ten large 

 spines situated towards the middle of the back ; but 

 the rough ray has them indiscriminately spread en- 

 tirely over every part. The spines of the thornback 

 are disposed in three rows upon the back ; whilst the 

 fire-flare has but one, which is placed upon the tail. — * 

 This dangerous and destructive weapon is of a flinty 

 hardness, and generally grow3 about five inches in 

 length ; the sides are thin, and it is sharply pointed, 

 and jagged the whole way. The last of this tribe is 

 the torpedo ; and though this animal appears to be de- 

 void of any weapon, it is possessed of one of those ex- 

 traordinary faculties which is beyond the art of the Na- 

 turalist to explain. 



Of all the larger fish in the ocean, the species we are 

 describing abounds the most ; and this may be attri- 

 buted to their external conformation, as the white 

 shark and the cachalot alone can take them down their 

 throats ; and their spines make them such dangerous 

 provision, that even the rapacious shark appears afraid 

 to eat. Labat informs us, there was a ray found at 

 Guadaloupe, which, in breadth, measured upwards of 



x 3 



