98 NATURALISM'S CABINET. 



Labat's account of a prodigious ray. 



above two hundred pounds : and yet that weight 

 is trifling, compared to- their enormous bulk in 

 other parts of the world. Among many instances 

 we need only adduce the account given by Labat 

 of a prodigious ray, speared by the negroes at 

 Guadaloupe. 



" This fish," says he, " was thirteen feet eight 

 inches broad, and above ten feet from the snout 

 to the insertion of the tail, which was itself in 

 proportion, being no less than fifteen feet long, 

 twenty inches broad, at its insertion, and tapering 

 to a point. The body was two feet in depth : 

 the skin as thick as leather, and marked with 

 spots, which spots in all of this kind, are only 

 glands that supply a mucus to lubricate and 

 soften the skin. This enormous fish was utterly 

 unfit to be eaten by Europeans; but the negroes 

 chose out some of the nicest bits, and carefully 

 salted them up as a most favourite provision." 



The ray-fish generate in May and April, and 

 the females are prolific to an extreme degree; 

 no less than three hundred eggs having been 

 taken out of the body of a single ray, covered 

 with a tough horny substance, which they ac- 

 quire in the womb, by the concretion of the 

 fluids of that organ. When come to maturity, 

 they are excluded, only one at a time, at inter- 

 vals of three or four hours. These eggs, or 

 purses, as the fishermen call them, are usually 



