Dr. Mitchill on a new species of Raja. 291 



it. When in this posture, the fish seemed capable of pre- 

 senting the globular or spherical form of the back, with its 

 armature and prickles, to its enemies or pursuers. For, even 

 when held in the air, its rotundity remained until the muscles 

 were relaxed by death ; and, even then, after animation was 

 extinct, there was a curvature of the rim, or periphery, 

 showing its tendency to a concave figure. The only other 

 individual of the species I ever saw, was one that was catched, 

 in my presence, on board the boat that went to the fishing 

 banks, south-east of Sandy-Hook, on the 23d July, 1822. 

 I examined it while alive, and immediately on being raised 

 from the depth of five fathoms. I then named it 



Raja Euinaceus, 



with this specific character : " having a tail bearing two 

 dorsal fins, with the vestige of a third at the extremity ; 

 thickly aculated on the sides, though destitute of the spines 

 called stings; havinga pale-brown prickly skin, over which 

 dark-brown spots are distributed ; and having also a patch 

 of about twenty spines on each wing, or flap, which, while 

 the wings or flaps are extended, and lie flat, are concealed 

 or covered by the skin ; but, when the wings or flaps are 

 contracted, come forth and are erected like the claws of a 

 cat, when they are capable of arresting or tearing soft ob- 

 jects presented to them." 



The length of the specimen now before me is seventeen 

 inches, and the breadth nine inches and a half. The head 

 is roundish, though ending in something like a pointed snout. 

 The cheeks (if they may be so called) are parting projec- 

 tions, of a curved form, on the sides of the snout, and are 

 laterally anterior to the eyes. The pectoral fins (wings or 

 flaps) are circular or roundish, and, viewed in connexion, 

 present a sort of elliptical figure. The ventral fins have 

 three little elevations or protuberances backv.'ard, that might 

 almost be called digitations, as there are traces, within the 

 common integuments, of concealed fingers. The anal fins 

 have no striking peculiarities. Near the base of these, and 

 under the tail, the two appendages, peculiar to these crea- 

 tures, proceed obliquely to the length of five inches. 



The whole body is so semi-diaphanous that the bones can 

 be discerned on holding it up between the eye and the light. 

 This quality distinguishes the marginal parts of the flaps par- 

 ticularly, and yet more distinctly characterizes the snout. 



