422 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



wide apart from each other, arranged in three or four rows in each 

 jaw, with the points directed inwards j vomer smooth, without 

 teeth ; eyes above, small, placed wide apart from each other ; nos- 

 trils small, situated at the extremity of the snout in front of the eyes ; 

 furnished with two elongated valves or loose membranes attached to 

 the inner margins ; temporal orifices large, nearly twice the size of 

 the orbit, placed transversely a little behind, and on the outer side 

 of each eye ; snout blunt, slightly notched in the middle ; branchial 

 openings rather small, placed on each side of the neck in front of the 

 pectorals ; pectorals large, somewhat of a triangular form at the outer 

 edge, terminating in front by an acute detached point or angle, 

 rounded at the lower margin ; ventrals, not half the size of the pec- 

 torals, situated behind, of a triangular form, with the inferior extre- 

 mities terminating in a loose point directed backwards ; dorsal fins 

 two, placed behind the ventrals ; the first is situated about half-way 

 between the tip of the caudal lobe and the termination of the pecto- 

 ral fins, somewhat of a triangular form ; the anterior margin oblique ; 

 the posterior margin nearly vertical; the second dorsal is rather 

 smaller than the first and nearly of the same form, placed about half- 

 way between the base of the caudal lobe and the termination of the first 

 dorsal ; ventrals wanting. Skin on the under surface of a dirty white ; 

 on the upper surface grey, inclining to chocolate, very rough, covered 

 with numerous, small prickly tubercles with broad bases and bent 

 points, causing the skin to feel granulated when the hand is passed 

 from head to tail, and very rough in the contrary direction ; caudal 

 fin obliquely bifurcated, the upper lobe rather the longest, of a tri- 

 angular form, a little more than equalling the size of the first dorsal. 



On some parts of the English coast, more especially in 

 the counties of Devon and Cornwall, we find this singular 

 looking fish of frequent occurrence, and from its supposed 

 resemblance in form to that of a fiddle it has occasionally 

 received the name of Fiddle-Fish. It is frequently taken 

 on the coasts of Kent and Sussex, where it is called a King- 

 ston, but on the eastern shores of Scotland it is seldom seen. 

 It has been, however, noticed by Dr Neill as occurring oc- 

 casionally in the Firth of Forth, and I myself have met 

 with two examples taken with the hook in the month of 

 June from the same quarter, but they were rather small, 

 not exceeding two feet in length, — the fishermen having no 

 name for them farther than that of Mongrel Skate. 



