308 PROCEEDINGS OF THE XATIOXAL MUSEUM. vol.48. 



riorly above the spiracle. The presence of these secondary spines 

 and the prickles, as well as the general texture and appearance, seem 

 to indicate that this is a small species, with the type much older than 

 would be the case in a specimen of the same size of R. inornata, rhina, 

 or oinoculata. No spines on shoulder. Lower side of disk smooth. 



The disk is broadly rounded, 107 mm. long from tip of snout to 

 posterior point of attachment of the ventral fins, 92 mm. to posterior 

 base of pectorals; its greatest width 136 mm. Its width, therefore, 

 is half greater than the length to posterior base of pectorals. The 

 line joining the outer angles of disk passes through the middle of the 

 ocellated spots and over the third spine of the dorsal series at a point 

 midway between the tip of the snout and the posterior margin of the 

 ventrals. The outer angle of disk is broadly rounded and the antero- 

 lateral margins slightly undulated but convex, a line from tip of snout 

 to outer angle being everywhere included within the margin of the 

 disk. The snout is short and convex, the tip a trifle protruding, the 

 rostral cartilages firm, converging forward, and meeting immediately 

 behind the tip of snout. Length of snout from front of orbit 27 mm., 

 interorbital width of spiracle 5 mm., of mouth between lateral folds 

 18 mm., distance from tip of snout to nostril 23 mm. Length of tail 

 behind disk 91 mm. 



Color fight brown, indistinctly mottled, and with a few scattered 

 small dark spots. A large, conspicuous, narrow black ring on middle 

 of pectoral base, surrounding an area of the ground color and with a 

 dark central spot. Directly behind this, separated by half the diame- 

 ter of the ring, a conspicuous small white spot. Two faint dark cross- 

 bars on interorbital area and one on base of snout. Lower surface 

 light, unmarked. 



The species differs widely from the group typified by steUulata 

 and parmifera by the strong rostral cartilages and the presence of a 

 series of (primary and secondary) orbital spines. The authorities of 

 the United States National Museum have kindly permitted the 

 writer to reexamine the type of Raja equatorialis, known from a single 

 male specimen taken near Panama. It has the upper surface of the 

 disk without coarse prickles. All the spines are very small, those in 

 the middle of the dorsal series, over the posterior half of the pectorals, 

 greatly reduced, a few of them barely protruding. The anterior 

 spine of this series is located slightly in advance of the two series of 

 pores near median line, the second opposite middle of series, the third 

 opposite the posterior end. Tail with a strong series of lateral spines 

 and a few small scattered prickles. The orbital spines form a series 

 of 12 or 13 along the superior border of the orbit and spiracle. Two 

 or three of these are over the posterior part of the spiracle, in a straight 

 line, and are separated by a wider interspace from the supraorbital 

 series proper. It is not possible to identify any of these spines as 



