SHARKS AND RAYS OF BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA. 



277 



On July 24, 1914, an adult female, 50.4 cm. long was taken in a seine at the laboratory. Length of 

 disk 39 cm.; width 65.5 cm. Each uterus contained a single embn'o, apparently almost fully developed. 

 Each embryo was rolled up into a cylindrical body, one wing of the disk being coiled up inside the other, 

 the latter folding over the whole; tip of snout infolded. (See illustration.) One of the embryos was 

 10.7 cm. long; disk 8.2 cm. long by 12.3 cm. wide, posterior margin of disk truncate, nearly straight. The 

 uterus was lined with small villi, a mass of elongate ones extended downward through the distended 

 opening of the spiracle of the embryo into its moutli, apparently affording a more direct source of supply 

 of food. Its intestine was greatly distended, forming a great arch on the ventral surface, the circular 

 valve being plainly visible on the surface. The intestine was filled with a greenish liquid, presumably 

 excrement retained until birth. The ovary contained three yellow eggs about three-fourths cm. in 

 diameter. The stomach of the parent was empty except for a few pieces of shell. Dissection of the 

 dorsal stu-face of the tail revealed no trace of spine reported to be present in old individuals. 



This species is very common in the Beaufort region and is taken on the sandy beaches in shallow 

 water. Fishermen not infrequently report seeing large individuals several feet in breadth. Whether 

 they are this species or aliavela has not been determined. 



32. Pteroplatea altavela (Linnaeus). 



Pteroplatea altavela, Nichols, 1914, p. S37; Coles. 1914, p. 93. 



"Two grown embryos, one 17X the other 15 inches in width, furnish probably the first definite North 

 American record for this species. 



" Mr. Coles writes that tmfortunately the mother was not kept. However, the following data were 

 secured. 



"On May 22, 1914, a very large ? was captured. Width 6 feet 10 inches, length (snout to tip of 

 ventrals) 3 feet 8 inches, tail 12 inches. It has two spines on the tail. This specimen contained four 

 grown embryos, two on either side. Two of the embryos * * * have each a single well-developed 

 spine on the tail." " 



Family MYLIOBATII)^. The eagle rays. 



Genus MYLIOBATIS Cuvier. 



33. Myliobatis freminvillii Le Sueur. Eagle ray. 



Mytiobalis fremenvillei, Jordan and Gilbert, 1879, p. 386. 



Myliobatis /retninz'iUei, Jordan, 1886, p. 26: Smith, 1907. p. 46; Coles, igij, p. 29-30. 32, 33', id., 1914, p. 94. 



AlUiobatis freminvUlei, Jenkins, 1SS7. p. 84. 



Teeth. — Teeth in a male 69.2 cm. long, in seven rows in each jaw, in pavement, those in the three 

 outer rows subequal, diamond-shaped, width fore and aft greater than breadth, width of median row 

 about one-third breadth; 10 teeth in median row in lower jaw, 6 of which function, 8 in the upper jaw; 

 5 functioning; functioning teeth much pitted as result of crushing shells. Skin smooth, a serrated spine 

 behind dorsal, present. 



MEAStniEMBNTs OP A Male (No. i) 69.2 Cm. (27X Inches) Long and a Female (No. 2) 45.5 Cm. 



(18 Inches) Long. 



No. I. No. a. 



Length of disk from tip of cephalic appendage 



Breadth of disk 



Length of anterior margin of disk 



Length of posterior margin of disk 



Tip of snout to eye 



Horizontal diameter of eye 



Interocular width 



Tip of snout to — 



Mouth 



Inner angle of first gill slit 



Inner angle of filth gill slit 



Vent 



Length of ventrals 



Length of claspers 



Length of caudal spine 



o Nichols, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. xxxm, art. xxxn. p. 537, 



cm. 



23- 4 



33-9 



18.4 



IS- 7 



3-9 



1-3 



5-5 



3-9 



7-4 

 9.4 

 18.8 

 4-S 

 2. I 

 6.0 



cm. 

 13- o 

 20.9 

 10. 7 

 9-7 

 2. 1 

 i.o 



2. 1 



4.3 

 S-9 

 II. 6 

 2-5 



