1867.] THE FISHES OF SEYCHELLES. 871 



both jaws smooth at the point, denticulated at the base ; the others 

 strongly denticulated along the entire edge. First dorsal much 

 nearer the pectorals than the ventrals ; the base of the second once 

 and a half as long as that of the anal. Lower caudal lobe short, 

 hardly a third of the length of the upper one. 



Colour yellowish grey, darker superiorly, marked with spots and 

 vertical bands of a darker colour on the back, sides, and tail ; on the 

 last they are rounded. — A. Bum. 



Creole name " Damoiselle." 



Hab. Seychelles; Indian Ocean. 



207. Rhynchobatus l^vis. 



Rata djeddensis, Forsk. p. 18. no. 17. 



Rhinobatus Icevis, Bl. Schn. p. .354, pi. 71 ; Russell, pi. 10. 



R. djeddensis, Riipp. Atlas, Fische, p. 54, t. 14. f. 1. 



Rhynchobatus leevis, Miill. & Henle, Plag. p. Ill ; Dum. Hist. 

 Poiss. i. p. 433. 



Snout long, pointed. Nostril very oblique, the interior angle 

 almost reaching the anterior margin of mouth ; their length is one- 

 fourth more than the space between them, and three times that 

 between their external angle and the edge of the disk. The pec- 

 torals have their exterior angles almost right ones. The superior 

 lobe of the caudal is a third longer than the inferior one. 



The colour varies with age. Young examples have a yellowish- 

 olive ground and a small brown spot on each side of the end of the 

 snout ; a band of the same colour on the edge of the eyelid ; a large 

 brown spot surrounded with small ones on the root of each pectoral ; 

 white spots on the rest of the body, those on the flanks being some- 

 times disposed in bands. In mature specimens these markings dis- 

 appear, and the fish assumes a uniform brown colour. — A. Hum. 



Creole name "Violon." 



Hab. Seychelles ; Red Sea ; Indian Ocean. 



208. Urogymnus aspkrrimus. 



Raja asperrhna, Bl. Schn. p. 367. no. 24. 



Urogymnus asperrimus, Miill. & Henle, Wiegm. Arch. 1837, 

 p. 400, 434 ; Dum. Hist. Poiss. i. p. 580. 



Anacanthus asperrimus, Miill. & Henle, Plag. p. 157, pi. 60. 



Disk ovate, rhomboidal, almost as broad as long, the exterior and 

 posterior angles rounded. Snout slightly prominent ; its length in 

 front of eyes is equal to the interorbital space. Tail hardly longer 

 than the disk, having a groove on its lower side containing a cuta- 

 neous fold. 



The middle of the upper surface from the interorbital space to the 

 tail, and for more than one-third of its breadth, covered with a mo- 

 saic of tubercles closely set together, between which rise here and 

 there spines with stellated bases, the branches of which, frequently 

 divided, surround several of the adjacent tubercles. On the re- 

 mainder of the disk there are scattered pointed tubercles, often as 



