SKATE. 423 



close behind : the dorsal ridge of the body without spines till 

 near the origin of the ventral fins ; then commence a single 

 row on the centre, reaching along the tail as far as the first of 

 the two small fins, all the points of the spines directed back- 

 wards ; one spine between the two small dorsal fins. On the 

 sides of the tail of a female of small size there were no lateral 

 spines ; but in a young male of the same size, there were 

 several lateral spines on each side, the points of which were 

 directed forwards, and are in that respect characteristic of 

 this species. The colour of the upper surface of the body 

 and tail greyish brown : the margins anterior to the angles of 

 the pectoral fins tinged with reddish brown ; those behind 

 the angles brownish black, darker than the body : the colour 

 on the under surface is sooty white, with dark lines in vari- 

 ous directions, and numerous blue specks with small sharp 

 points disposed among them over the surface. The nostrils 

 are valvular, half the width of the mouth in advance of each 

 of its angles ; the mouth rather wide ; the teeth in this spe- 

 cies are sharp in both sexes when adult, the inner angles of 

 the central teeth beginning to elongate in specimens when 

 they are about twelve inches in breadth across the body. 



I may here add that the true Skate, the subject of the pre- 

 sent article, the Long-nosed Skate which precedes it, and the 

 Sharp-nosed Skate which is next to be described, are, in 

 some localities, included under the general term of Skate, 

 from their similarity in colour. 



