DISCOBATIDAE. 287 



on the pectoral near the hinder angle and a third midway between the latter and 

 the vertebrae. Several other less conspicuous spots are seen near the middle 

 of the fore part of the back. 

 Panama. 



Trigonorrhina. 



Trigonorrhina Muller & Henle, 1838, Charlesworth's mag., 2, p. 90; 1841, Plagios., p. 124. 



Disk broad, shorter than the tail; pectorals not extended in front of the 

 nostrils; rostral cartilage strong, broad at the fontanel, tapering, blunted; tail 

 not wide at the base, moderately slender. Origins of ventrals close to axils of 

 pectorals. Dorsals remote from the bases of the ventrals. Subcaudal, not lobed. 

 Nasal valves confluent in a broad quadrangular flap, forming the front edge of 

 the mouth, free on the lateral edges behind the nostrils. Spiracle large, close 

 to the eye, with a fold. More closely allied to Syrrhina than to Rhinobatus. 



This genus contains one living species. A fossil form, T. dezignii Heckel, 

 has been described from the Middle Eocene of North Italy. 



Trigonorrhina fasciata. 



Trigonorrhina fasciaia Muller & Henle, 1841, Plagios., p. 124, pi. 43; Dumeril, 1865,Elasm.,p.502, 

 GtJNTH., 1870, Cat. fishes Brit, miis., 8, p. 448. 



Disk as broad as long, about one half of the total length without the caudal. 

 Snout broad, blunt angled; rostral cartilage strong, tapering, blunted, ridges con- 

 vergent . Tail near one and one half times the length of the disk ; caudal narrow, 

 subcaudal not lobed. Dorsals higher than long, truncate; first dorsal more 

 than one length of its base behind the bases of the ventrals, second midway 

 between the first and the caudal. Ventrals narrow, produced, origins close to 

 bases of pectorals. Anterior narial valves united across the internarial space, 

 covering the posterior valves and the greater portions of the nostrils, reaching 

 the mouth. Tubercles more or less covered by skin and scales, in a vertebral 

 series, in two groups on each shoulder and in a row from in front of the eye to 

 above the spiracle. 



Brown or greyish brown, with wavy bands of dark-edged bluish. Snout 

 lighter. Lower surfaces whitish darker toward edges. 



Australia; Tasmania. 



Discobatidae. 



Disk short and broad; pectorals wide, rounded, continued to the end of the 

 snout. Snout broad, blunt. Tail rather slender, with two dorsals far behind 



