22 DEEP SEA FISHES. 



the surface. In many, possibly in most cases the latter are yet to be 

 placed in both lists, their vertical ranges being more and more extended 

 as investigations proceed. Beyond this the presumption appears to be 

 warranted that further research only is needed to extend the deep sea 

 range of this genus through all the great depths, it may be including the 

 seas under the poles. The discovery of Raia mammillidens, from the Gulf 

 of Manaar, at nearly six hundred fathoms, and of Benthobatis 3Ioresbiji, off 

 the Travancore Coast, at four hundred and thirty, by Alcock, are indica- 

 tions of what may be expected in future from the western and the south- 

 ern parts of the Indian Ocean, or from the same portions of the Pacific, 

 these waters having yielded very few Platosomia as compared with the 

 northern and the western portions of the Atlantic, or with the eastern 

 portions of the Pacific. Raia mammiUidens Ale. is suggestive of the tran- 

 sition from Raia by way of genera like Discobatus {Platyrhina, Auct.) 

 and Platyrhinoidis, to the Rhinobatidae, or vice versa. 



RAIID.E. 



Raiidae Bonap., 1831, Saggio di una distribiizione metodica degli Aiiimali Vertebrati, 99, 122. 



Raja badia sp. n. 



Plate VI., figs. 1 and 2. 



The total length of the female described is ten and one eighth and the 

 greatest width is six and three fourths inches, while the length of the disk 

 to the ends of the pectorals is about five, or the length to the ends of the 

 ventrais is six. Disk thin, nearly half of the total length, little wider than 

 long, almost right angled in front, taking the general directions of the for- 

 ward outlines, blunt at the snout, convex opposite the eyes and again near 

 the outer angles, slightly concave at the sides of the snout and opposite the 

 gills, sharper than right angled on the outer angles of the pectorals. Head 

 one fifth of the total length, not very prominent on the top, as wide as long. 

 Snout elongate, thin, broad, blunt ; rostral cartilage weak, slender. Eye 

 small, two fifths of the width of the interorbital space ; orbit one fourth of 

 the length of the snout. Width of mouth equal to four fifths of the dis- 

 tance from the end of the rostrum. Teeth small, about forty-four series 

 across the upper jaws, in shape resembling a pair of small parallel disks 

 united by a short narrow column, the upper of the disks being smaller than the 



