88 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



being similar. Ventrals not eraarginate. Genera 3; species about 20. 

 Large sting rays; inhabiting warm seas, feeding chiefly on mollusks 

 which they crush with their large grinding teeth. (Group MYLIOBATINA, 

 Giinther, Cat., vin, 488-495.) 



AETOBATIN.K: 

 a. Teeth in a single series, very broad; muzzle entire. AETOBATUS, 55. 



RHINOPTERINJE: 

 era. Teeth in several series, the middle series very broad. 



I. Muzzle entire. MYLIOBATIS, 56. 



bb. Muzzle emarginate ; cephalic fins below the level of the disk. RHINOPTERA, 57. 



55. AETOBATUS, Blainville. 



Aetobatus, BLAINVILLE, Jour, de Phys., LXXXIII, 1816, 261, (vulgaris, narinari, etc.). 

 Aetobatis, BLAINVILLE, Faune Franyaise, Livr. 26, 38, 1828, (aquila, etc.). 

 Aetobatis, MULLER & HENLE, Plagiostomen, 179, 1838, (narinari, first restriction). 

 Stoasodon, CANTOR, Catalogue Malayau Fishes, 434, 1850, (narinari, substitute for Aetobatis; re- 

 stricted to aquila). 

 Goniobatis, AGASSIZ, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1859, 385, (flagdlum). 



General form of Myliobatis. Muzzle entire. Teeth flat, broad, form- 

 ing a single series corresponding to the middle series in Myliobatis, 

 there being no small lateral teeth. Upper dental lamina straight, lower 

 curved, the latter projecting beyond the upper. Free border of the nasal 

 valve deeply emarginate. Skin smooth. Tropical seas, (derof, eagle; 

 /3drof, ray). 



a. Disk twice as broad as long ; pale spots rather small. Atlantic Coast. NARINARI, 131. 



aa. Disk more than twice as broad as long ; pale spots large. Pacific Coast. LATICEPS, 132. 



131. AETOBATUS NARINARI, (Euphrasen). 



(SPOTTED STING RAY.) 



Disk twice as broad as long, its anterior borders a little convex, pos- 

 terior concave, outer angles pointed. Cephalic fin about i broader 

 than long. Teeth of the lower jaw straight or more or less angularly 

 bent. Tail 3 to 4 times length of disk. Brown, with small round pale 

 spots. (Dume"ril.) Tropical seas, north on the Atlantic coast to Vir- 

 ginia; not very common on our shores, (narinari, a Brazilian name.) 



Eaia narinari, EUPHRASEN, Vet. Ak. Nya Handl., xi, 217, 1790, Brazil, (after narinari of 



Marcgrave). 



Raiaflagellum, BLOCK & SCHNEIDER, Syst. Ichth., 361, 1801, Corotnandel. 

 Aelobatis narinari, GUNTHER, Cat.,vin, 492,1870; DUMRIL, Elasmobranches, 641, 1870. 

 Raja quinqueaculeata, QUOY & GAIMARD, Voy. Uranie., 200, 1824. 

 Stoasodon narinari, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 879, 1883. 

 Myliobatis eeltenkee, RUPPELL, Neu. Wirb., 70, 1835, Red Sea. 

 Goniobatis macroptera, MCCLELLAND, Calcutta Jour. Nat. Hist., 1841, i, 60, Bengal. 



132. AETOBATUS LATICEPS, (Gill). 



Disk rather more than twice as broad as long ; fontanelle on top of head 

 gradually expanding backward; tail 4 to 5 times length of disk. Bluish 

 black with numerous rounded yellowish spots on head smaller than eye, 

 much larger on body, assuming on the pectoral the form of ocelli. Gulf 

 of California to Panama, abundant southward, (latus, broad; -cejt>s,head). 



