THE NORTHERN PROVINCE. 255 



Bliore, close to a convenient landing-place for the boats. The 

 men catch the fish and the women sell them. At that time (Feb- 

 ruary) very few scale-fish were caught, not a dozen species all 

 told, and I congratulated myself on having made a good collection 

 at Colombo. Just as I expected, however, from the shallowness of 

 the sea all around, I found that the flat-bodied Chondropterygii 

 (rays and skates) were taken in great variety and abundance. The 

 Jaffna waters seem to be the headquarters for all the species of this 

 order to be found in the Indian Ocean, and I doubt if any other 

 locality in the world of ten times the area can boast as many 

 species as I collected there in one week. 



While it is time that none of the specimens I saw cotdd for a 

 moment compare in size with some of the monster rays known to 

 inhabit the vicinity of Madagascar, nor yet the gigantic devil-fish 

 {Manta hirosfris. Walb.) of our own coast, it is not to be sup- 

 posed that such fishes could attain such vast dimensions in a local- 

 ity where they constitute a staple article of food for the people, 

 and are fished for constantly. 



On getting home from our trip after coral I set out for the fish- 

 market, in obedience to my rule to \dsit such places every day, rain 

 or shine ; for no man knoweth what a day's fishing may bring 

 forth. On the way I met an old Tamil woman of most repulsive 

 features and form, carrying on her head a rhinobatus {R. thouini), 

 five feet long, and without a break in its skin. Necessity knows 

 no law, except that the fia'st specimen must always be taken for fear 

 another of the same species is not met, and like a true Dick Tur- 

 pin I made the old woman stand and deliver. It is always safe to 

 assume that a native will sell anything for money, and in this case 

 the fish was willingly dehvered to me, for about double the price 

 paid for it ! 



I sent this prize back to the rest house and went on to the mar- 

 ket where I found a fine large spotted ray {Trygon uaimak) which 

 measured 3 feet 6 inches in width, and 9 feet 6 inches in length 

 including the tail, which alone was 6 feet 7 inches. This specimen 

 I bought for one rupee and carried home in triumph — by proxy. 

 This species is readily distinguished by the black spots of various 

 shapes which thickly cover its entire upper surface on a pale slaty 

 blue ground. The entire under surface is creamy white. 



The next day after skinning one of the big fish and skeletonizing 

 the other I visited the market as usual and this time bought two 

 rays of another species [JEtohatis narinari), thi-ee more spotted rays 



