Catalogue of the Fishes of Connecticut. 79 



*167. Myliobatis acuta, Ayres, Grindstone Ray, Brook Haven, 

 Long Island. 



*168. Rhinoptera quadriloba, Le Sueur, Cow-nosed Ray, New 

 York and Stratford. 



t 



Order III, Cyclostomi. 

 Family PetromyzonidcB. 



*169. Petromyzon Americanus, Le Sueur, American Lamprey, 

 Stratford. 



170. Petromyzon nigricans, Le Sueur, Bluish Lamprey, Ston- 

 ington. 



variable number of spines is mentioned here with a view to show what I have not 

 elsewhere seen noticed ; the impropriety of designating any species of ray with 

 the specific name of " bispinous," or any other numerical prefix; as, in my hum- 

 ble opinion, such designation would probably lead to error in any species of this 

 family yet known. I suggest this, however, with great deference to the opin- 

 ion of my highly esetemed friend Dr. Storer. Vide B. J. N. History, Vol. IV, 

 page 188, and the Society's Proceedings, page 53. 



*167. This species of Myliobatis has been taken by Mr. Ayres, at Long Island, 

 opposite Stratford. It is described in the Journal of Proceedings of the B. S. of 

 N. History, page 65. Length 3 feet, ividth 2 feet 5 inches. 



*16S. Capt. Porter of this place, recently presented me with the tail of a Ray, 

 taken here, very uncommonly small for its length, being three-tenths of an inch 

 thick horizontally, five-tenths perpendicularly at the distance of 3 feet from its 

 point. It has neither fin nor spine attached. As regards the specific marks of the 

 fish from whence he took it, he made no observation. Dr. Dekay, however, re- 

 marks in his Report, that this is an exceedingly common species about New York, 

 and this slender tail, though too long for Dr. Dekay's measured specimen, appears 

 unlike that of any species I have seen. In view of all these considerations, 

 it is inserted here. It is well known by " its spade- like snout,'' and its great tact in 

 crushing our common round clams {V. mercenaria,) with its rolling-mill-teeth. 



t Note. Our old fishermen here in 1840, left at the shop of Wm. Chester, what 

 he and they, (as he informed me,) called a " thorn-back,'' and unlike any rays that 

 had been known to be caught here, with a request to have him send it to me. But 

 unfortunately it was subsequently kept too long, and being spoiled was thrown 

 away. 



Dr. Storer supposes the thorn-back (Raia clavata of Don, or radiata of Lin- 

 naeus,) by the reports of fishermen, has been taken in Massachusetts, but I do not 

 learn that it has ever fallen under the eye of a naturalist in New England. 



Of the Torpedo occidcntalis, of Storer, so well described in Vol. xlv, of this 

 Journal, I am not informed that any specimen has ever been taken in America, ex- 

 cept on the south side of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where they have been caught 

 for many years. 



*169. I obtained a specimen of this lamprey in May last, taken in the Housaton- 

 ic, in a seine drawn for shad. Length 2 feet. The peculiar mouth of this animal, 

 notwithstanding its variegated color, serves to render it a very disgusting object. 



