74 Bulletin 47^ United States National Museum. 



104. RAJA EQTJATORIALIS, Jordan & Bollman. 



Disk to posterior base of pectorals \ broader than long, the breadth 

 exceeding the length by a distance equal to snout and eye ; the breadth 

 somewhat longer than length of tail (measured from vent) ; ante- 

 rior margin concave in front of eyes. Snout produced at a rather 

 acute angle, its tip rounded, its length from eye 3f in length of disk. 

 Interorbital space rather strongly concave, its width 2-f in snout. Eye 

 not much larger than spiracles, 3 in snout. Width of mouth H in 

 prenasal part of head ; nasal flaps at angle of mouth deeply fringed. 

 Pectorals reaching middle of ventrals, which are as long as from tip of 

 snout to posterior border of spiracle. Claspers in typical example \\ in 

 disk. Dorsals small, their length 2 in snout. Caudal small, not longer 

 than eye. Snout above with 2 rows of spines, besides smaller asperi- 

 ties ; a row of about 12 before and above eye and spiracle ; a row of 

 strong spines along line of back from posterior border of spiracle to sec- 

 ond dorsal, these alternately large and small on the tail ; a row of similar 

 spines on each side of tail commencing just behind posterior base 01 

 ventrals and extending to caudal ; a single spine on the shoulder on 

 each side ; 4 or 5 irregular rows near the anterior margin of the disk 

 opposite the eyes ; the length of this patch not as long as snout. Pec- 

 torals with the usual strong retrorse spines characteristic of the males of 

 this genus. Small prickles present along the outer anterior margin of 

 pectorals, interorbital area, on top of snout, and along its margin for a 

 distance equal to f of snout, and beneath from tip to opposite posterior 

 teeth, the anterior prickles strongest; a small patch in front of eyes. 

 Teeth |$. 



Color light brown, spotted with paler ; the back with obscure reticu- 

 lations of the ground color, forming honeycomb-like markings, surround- 

 ing paler ; an obscure roundish dusky blotch at middle of base of pectorals, 

 and a darker one near their posterior base ; edges of ventrals, pectorals, 

 and snout pale ; dark markings on interorbital area and below eye ; no 

 markings below. 



Related to Raja inornata, Jordan & Gilbert, from which it is at once 

 distinguished by having 4 rows of spines below eyes, a series of stout 

 spines on each side of tail in the male, and no prickles on back except the 

 median series and the spine on each shoulder. The size is much smaller, 

 it being one of the smallest of the rays, known from a single male speci- 

 men 14 inches in length ; dredged at a depth of 33 fathoms, at station 2797, 

 oif the west coast of Colombia, between Panama and the Galapagos 

 Islands, 8 06' 30" N., 78 51' W. (equatorialis, of the equator.) 

 Raja equatorialis, JORDAN & BOLLMAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1889, 150, off Colombia. (Type, 

 No. 41132.) 



105. RAJA PARMIFERA, Bean. 



Disk considerably broader than long ; tip of snout slightly projecting ; 

 interorbital width 3i in distance from snout to eye ; tail as long as from 

 its root to eye. Teeth in 27 rows. Snout, supraoccipital region and whole 

 margin of pectorals and ventrals covered with small prickles, as also an 



