RAJA BADIA. 23 



base, covered with dentine, and bearing at its hinder edge a sharp slender cusp 

 directed obliquely back and upward. Spiracle smaller than the eye. Gill 

 openings small, width of the widest less than the length of the eye. 



Dorsal fins equal, small, length less than half the width of the mouth, not 

 separated by a spinous intei'space, not united by membrane, close together, 

 posterior nearly its length forward of the end of the tail. Ventrals divided 

 by a deep notch into two lobes, of which the outer is narrow, slender, and 

 equal in length to half the width of the mouth, while the inner is as wide as 

 long and is broadly rounded on the hind margin from the notch to the 

 blunted angle at the side of the tail. Tail slender, narrow, depressed, taper- 

 ing gradually, acute, with a narrow dermal keel along the lower edge of 

 each side. 



Upper surfaces of disk and tail with rather closely set sharp spinules, 

 closer together and finer on the sides of the tail which are without large 

 tubercles. A large tubercular spine stands in front of each orbit ; another 

 is located between the orbit and the spiracle, and a third behind the latter. 

 A group of three large tubei'cles appears on each shoulder, the inner one 

 being smaller than the outer pair. Between the occiput and the first dor- 

 sal fin there is a series of twenty-nine tubercles ; and on the hinder portion 

 of each pectoral, behind the shoulder, there is a scattered group of smaller 

 ones. On the top of the outer end of the rostral cartilage there is a group 

 of medium sized spines in a couple of series. Each of the larger tubercles 

 is compressed and consists of a high swollen pedestal or base with sharp 

 vertical ridges upon which is a sharp slender hooked spine, subtriangular in 

 trans-section, excavated behind, resembling the claw of a bird. All of the 

 tubercles are high ; those on the tail are more compressed, becoming very 

 narrow, blade-like, and more hooked. Entire lower surfixce smooth. 



Chocolate brown, blackish on the tail ; ventral surface like the dorsal or 

 a trifle darker, except in a white area about the mouth and a smaller trian- 

 gular one behind the middle of the shoulder girdle. 



A couple of eggs which may or may not belong to this species were taken 

 at stations 335Y and 3359. One of them is figured on Plate VI., figure 3. 

 The egg case itself, without the tendrils, is two and one half by three and 

 one half inches. The " horns " are mutilated ; evidently thoy were of con- 

 siderable length ; their bases are stout and thick. Over the entire surface 

 the case is covered with fine villi or pile, in longitudinal series, which 

 though harsh to the touch gives the appearance of a soft rich black velvet. 



