Dr. Bancroft on some Animali of Jamaica. 83 



figure and an exact description of this fish are desiderata, which I hope 

 now to see supplied in the Zoological Journal ; and I trust that the liberty 

 I take will be excused, when I suggest that, with a creature of this ex- 

 traordinary formation, a front view, and a side view, would be very 

 useful in order to convey a just idea of its peculiarities. In the Sharks, 

 too, I consider that a representation of the under surface is not less in- 

 structive than in the Rays. I inclose a memorandum I took in pencil, of 

 the form of the head, and position and appearance of the eyes, while the 

 fish was quite fresh : it is of the natural size, and may assist in the draw- 

 ing to be made. 



6. A series of ovarian sacculi, connected by a membranous cord, that 

 was found not long ago near one of the wharfs of this city. I have not 

 yet been able to ascertain by what animal it was deposited. I had a 

 similar specimen lately, but shorter and rather smaller, which I kept for 

 several weeks in water, without its exhibiting the slightest tendency to 

 putrefaction. During my short absence in May Icist, the sacculi sepa- 

 rated at their edges, and the ova escaped, and appear afterwards to have 

 become decomposed into particles so minute as to have eluded observa- 

 tion when the water was occasionally changed. To prevent a similar 

 accident with the present specimen, I put it into rum. 



7. The tail of a small specimen of Rata Sloaiiii (Cuvier) which I 

 send, because it has its sting perfect, and this the fishermen are not easily 

 prevailed on to allow to remain. This species is here called the " Sting- 

 ray," and, when so small as the specimen to which this tail belonged, 

 " Maid." I had the fish put into water to macerate previously to its 

 being put into spirit ; but the servant neglected it, and, notwithstanding 

 his assertions of its not being putrid, when at last I ordered it to be 

 brought to me, the body was quite gone. I will send you another spe- 

 cimen as soon as I can, and in the mean time I inclose an unfinished 

 sketch I took (of the natural size) , showing its form and features. Com- 

 pare this with the figure of Sloane, pi. 246, f. 1, and you will see the 

 excessive distortion represented in the latter, which I know not how to 

 account for, except by supposing that it was drawn by a careless ignorant 

 artist, from a dried specimen, in which all the softer parts had shrivelled 

 up, and to which he thought it necessary to add all the monstrosity of 

 feature in the head that his fancy could invent. In a paper in the box 



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