FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 191 



Family II. 

 RAIIDAE. 



Raia. Cuv. 



Generic characters. Form of the body rhomhoidal, very 

 'much depressed ; tail long and slender, generally armed on the 

 upper surface ivith one or more roios of sharp spines ; tivo sm,all 

 fins near the end of the tail, and, sometimes a small terminal 

 or caudal fin ; the eyes and tem,poral orifices on the upper sur- 

 fice of the head ; nostrils, m,outh and branchial apertures, be- 

 neath ; teeth flattened, lozenge- shaped, the inner angle elonga- 

 ted in old males. 



R. ocellata. Mitchell. The ocellated Ray. 

 Trans. Lit. et Philosoph. Soc. vol. i. p. 477. 



This species, described by Mitchell in his " Fishes of New- 

 York," is sometimes met with in our waters weighing 200 

 pounds. The following description is drawn up from a female 

 specimen thirty-07ie inches in length : 



Body above, of a light brown color, thickly sprinkled over 

 its entire surface with circular black spots, varying in size from 

 half a line to two lines in diameter. Width across the pecto- 

 rals, thirty inches ; width of the head, directly back of the 

 eyes, twelve inches ; distance between the eyes, about two 

 inches. Eyes, situated horizontally, two thirds of an inch in 

 diameter ; pupils black ; irides yellowish, beautifully radiated 

 with golden, resembling slips of gold leaf ; orbitar ridge cov- 

 ered with very small spines. Snout slightly projecting. On 

 each side of the snout, a slight marginal excavation. Tempo- 

 ral orifices directly back of the eyes, situated obliquely, one 

 inch in length. Mouth measures from outer angle, three inch- 

 es across ; teeth placed in quincunx. Nostrils directly in front 

 of the mouth, large and protected by fleshy prolongations. 

 From the tip of the snout to a point opposite the first bran- 

 chial opening, the margin of the pectorals on each side, are 

 rough to the touch. The branchial openings, five in number, 



