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THE STING RAY. 



that the tail nearly touches the snout, and then, with a sudden fling, lashes out with the 

 tail in the direction of the offender, never failing to inflict a most painful stroke if the 

 blow should happen to take effect. 



The color of the Thornback Skate is brown, diversified with many spots of brownish 

 gray, and the under parts are pure white. 



The COMMON SKATE, sometimes called the TINKER, is so well known that only a very 

 short description is needed. 



This fish is found on all our coasts in great plenty, and sometimes attains to a really 

 large size, a fine specimen having been known to weigh two hundred pounds. The 

 fishermen have a custom of calling the female Skate a Maid, and the male, in conse- 

 quence of the two elongated appendages at the base of the tail, is called the Three- 

 Tailed Skate. It is a very voracious creature, eating various kinds of fish, crustaceans, 

 and other inhabitants of the deep. 



STING RAY. Try son pastiaaca. 



The color of this species is grayish brown on the upper surface, and a little reddish 

 brown and black-brown are found on the edges of the broad fins. Below, it is grayish 

 white, over which divers darker lines are drawn, and upon which are scattered a great 

 number of bluish spots with small sharp points among them. 



TERRIBLE as is the armed tail of the hornback skate, and severe as are the wounds 

 that can be inflicted by it, the STING RAY is furnished with a weapon even more to be 

 dreaded, and capable of causing a still more serious injury. 



The tail itself of this species is long, flexible, whip-like and smooth, so that were it 

 unaided by any additional armature, it could only inflict a sharp and stinging blow, 

 which, however painful, would do no more damage than the cut of a horsewhip. As, 

 however, may be seen in the illustration, the tail is further armed with a projecting bony 

 spine, very sharp at the point, and furnished along both edges with sharp cutting teeth. 

 When attacked or irritated, the Sting Ray suddenly strikes its whip-like tail around the 

 offender in lasso fashion, and holding him tightly against the barbed spine, wields the 

 latter with such strength and rapidity that it lacerates the flesh to a frightful and dan- 

 gerous extent, in some cases even causing the death of the victim. 



