48 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



species will endure captivity during the spring, fall, and part of 

 the winter, but not at all in summer. 



Mitchill had the ray from Barnegat and from off Sandy Hook. 

 De Kay did not see the fish, but copied the description aijd figure 

 of Mitchill. Smith refers to it as the " summer skate " or " bon- 

 net skate." It is found at Woods Hole from June to October. 

 The names " hedgehog ray '' and " bonnet skate " are given in 

 allusion to its habit of rolling itself up when caught. At South- 

 ampton L. I. this species was taken in small numbers Aug. 3, 

 1898. 



24 Raja ocellata Mitchill 



Spotted Skate; Big Skate 



Raja ocellata Mitchill, Trans. Lit, & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 477, 1815; Joedan 

 & EvERMANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 68, pi. X, fig. 30, 1896; Smith, 

 Bull. U. S. F. 0. XVII, 89, 1898. 



Raia ocellata De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 369, not pi. 65, fig. 212, 1842; 

 JoEDAN & GiLBEET, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 40, 1883. 



Similar in shape to, R. e r i n a c e a, but larger, with a wider 

 mouth and with many more rows of teeth. The length of the 

 disk slightly exceeds its width. The spines are arranged as in 

 R. erinacea, but additional rows are present down the back 

 and on the sides of the tail. Tail nearly as long as the disk; 

 caudal fin not separate, with small spines; mouth large; jaws 

 curved; teeth in about 90 rows above and 88 below. Color light 

 brown, with rounded dark spots; a translucent space on each 

 side of the snout; near the posterior angle of the pectoral there 

 is usually (but not always) a large white ocellus, with a dark 

 spot in the center and a darker border; two smaller similar 

 spots often present. (After Garman) 



The spotted skate reaches a length of nearly 3 feet; its egg 

 cases are more than twice as large as those of R. erinacea. 

 The species is found from New York to Massachusetts and 

 northward. 



Dr Mitchill de&Gribed a specimen which was 30 inches long 

 and 19 inches wide. Dr De Kay calls this species the spotted 

 ray. He found the stomach of one filled with rock crabs, 

 Cancer irroratus. To the fishermen this and allied spe- 



