422 RAHD.E. 



It appears to be found among the Orkneys, and on the 

 coast of Scotland, where it is called Blue Skate and Grey 

 Skate. From thence southward as far as Kent, and again 

 westward to Cornwall, it is found along the whole line of 

 coast. In Ireland, the Skate is taken from Cork up the east 

 coast to Antrim, and from thence northward and westward 

 to Londonderry and Donegal. At Lyme Regis, on account 

 of its dusky grey colour, it is called the Tinker. 



In this species both sexes when adult have sharp teeth, the 

 points beginning to elongate by the time the body of the 

 fish has attained the breadth of twelve or fourteen inches. 

 The females are generally called Maids ; and fishermen dis- 

 tinguish the females of the three species of most frequent 

 occurrence by the names of Skate Maid, Thornback Maid, 

 and Homelyn Maid, — frequently calling the old male of the 

 Skate with his two long appendages the Three-tailed Skate. 

 In each of these species the females are observed to be much 

 more numerous as well as larger than the males. Pennant 

 mentions having seen a Skate that weighed two hundred 

 pounds : it is very voracious, and Mr. Couch has known five 

 different species of fish, besides Crustacea, taken from the 

 stomach of a single individual. There is reason to believe 

 that the true Skate produces its young later in the season 

 than either the Thornback or the Homelyn, 



The breadth of the body is to its length nearly as four to 

 three ; the form of the nose conical : the lines from the ex- 

 treme lateral angle of each pectoral fin being nearly straight, 

 similar lines taken in a direction backward to a point on the 

 tail two inches below the end of the ventral fins, would form 

 a true rhomb : the eyes are slightly elevated above the line 

 of the upper surface of the body, with a short, hard tubercle 

 in the front of each, and a second on the inner side of each ; 

 the irides yellow ; the temporal orifices valvular, and placed 



