334 THE PLAGIOSTOMIA. 



times as long as the eye. IMouth moderate, slightly arched. Teeth with a 

 pointed keel in males, blunter in females, in about 50 rows. Young smooth; 

 adults with scattered minute asperities. A median series of small tubercles on 

 the tail, in most cases a less complete lateral series at each side, and in many 

 cases a small tubercle, or more than one, in front of each orbit. Tail medium, 

 nearly half of the total length, produced behind the second dorsal. Dorsals 

 separated by a space with spines. 



Back brown, uniform or clouded, to spotted with white; lower surface 

 dingy white, with blackish pores. 



British Islands to the Mediterranean. 



Rata oxyrhinchus. 



Alia Raia o^vpvyxo^ Roxdelet, 1554, Pise, p. 348; Gesner, 1558, Aquat., p. 933; Willughby, 



1686, Pise, p. 71. 

 Laeviraia sp. Salviani, 1554, Aquat., f. 149, pi. 52; Willughby, 1686, Pise, p. 71, pi. C 4. 

 Raia varia Artedi, 1738, Ichthyologia, Syn., p. 101, Gen., p. 72, no. 8. 

 Raia oxyrinchus LiNx£, 1758, Syst., 1, p. 231; 1766, Syst., 1, p. 395; Brunnich, 1768, Ichthy. Massi- 



liensis, p. 2; Blaixv., 1830, Poiss. Fr., p. 18, pi. 3, f. 1; Guxth., 1870, Cat. fishes Brit, mus., 8, 



p. 469; Holt & Calderwood, 1895, Trans. Roy. Dublin soc, new ser., 5, p. 386. 

 Raia laevis Valmoxt, 1768, Diet. d'hi.st. nat., 3, p. 705. 



Raia rostrala Rlsso, 1810, Ichth. Nice, p. 7; 1826, Hist, nat., 3, Poissons, p. 156. 

 Raia morula Nardo, 1827, Prod. Adriat. Ichthy., p. 8, 17; Isis, p. 476-483. 

 Raia salviani Muller & Hexle, 1841, Plagios., p. 143; Dum^ril, 1865, Elasm., p. 569. 

 Laeviraia oxyrhinchus Boxaparte, 1841, Icon. Fauna Ital., Pesci. 

 Raia nidrosiensis Collett, 1881, Forh. vid. selsk. Chra., no. 7, pi.; 1904, Forh. vid. selsk. Chra., no. 9, 



p. 123. 



Disk rhomboid, little wider than long, anterior borders deeply emarginate, 

 snout long, depressed, sharp, in length three times the width of the mouth or 

 the internarial space, outer angles blunted, hinder angles broadly rounded. 

 Mouth slightly curved; teeth in about 40 rows, in specimens measuring three 

 feet in length, median teeth larger, sharper. Spiracles not as large as the eyes. 

 Ventrals deeply notched. Back roughened by small spines about the head, 

 snout, forward edges of the disk and top of tail; on adult males a median row 

 of small tubercles on the tail. Frequently lateral rows are seen on the sides of 

 the tail, and scattered tubercles on the back and head appear in the young. 

 Males smoother, with erectile tenacula near the outer angles of the pectorals. 

 Ventral surfaces roughened in large individuals. 



Brown with more or less definite spots of whitish or dark or both, to uniform ; 

 whitish below, openings of pores black. Old specimens uniform dark brown. 



The specimens described, from Nice, have the following measurements: — 



(1) Total length 35, snout to mouth 8.5, snout to abdominal pores 20 and 

 greatest width 23 inches. 



