432 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



peaF to branch off from one large ray situated horizontally. Caudal 

 fin rudimentary, about half the length of the base of the second dor- 

 sal. Colour of the upper surface of the body of an uniform yellow- 

 ish-brown ; under surface pure white. Eyes large ; a temporal ori- 

 fice situated at the posterior part and a little on the outer side of 

 each orbit ; mouth large, placed beneath ; teeth strong and sharp 

 pointed, arranged in each jaw in many rows. Skin on the upper 

 surface very rough, having a granulated feel when the hand is passed 

 over the pectorals ; at the base of the ventral and anal fins, the skin 

 is perfectly smooth. About six large bent spines, with broad bases, 

 situated on the upper part of the snout ; round the inner margin of 

 each orbit are from ten to twelve of these spines, arranged in the 

 form of a crescent ; on the dorsal ridge, from the nape to the trans- 

 verse cartilage, is a row of six spines ; about a little more than half- 

 way down the back, commence two rows of spines, which run down 

 the tail as far as the first dorsal fin ; the first ten or twelve spines are 

 very small, the rest gradually increase in size as they proceed ; no 

 spines on the central ridge of the tail ; each spine has its broad base 

 more or less grooved, and its point directed backwards ; on each side of 

 the base of the tail are a number of small hooked spines, placed in 

 two or three irregular rows. 



It appears nearly certain, that the fish figured and de- 

 scribed in Mr YarrelPs work on the British Fishes, vol. II. 

 p. 414, under the name of the Long-nosed Skate or Rata 

 chagrined, is not the same as the Shagreen Kay of Mon- 

 tagu, or of Pennant, nor does it agree with the fish above 

 described, which seems to me identical with the Shagreen 

 Ray of Montagu. In Mr Yarrell's example, the nose is 

 very long, much longer than that observed in the Grey 

 Skate ; the upper surface of the body slightly roughened 

 and of a light lead colour ; the second fin on the tail about 

 its own length from the end. The under surface of a dirty 

 greyish-white marked with dusky spots like the true skate 

 (Raia batis) ; the lateral caudal spines are represented in the 

 figure as being perfectly straight, their points directed out- 

 wards. In the specimen now before me, although it belongs 

 to the sharp-nosed division of skates, the snout is not so 

 long as that observed in the Grey Skate of equal size. If 



