74-i PLAGIOSTOMATA— BATOIDEI. 



1. Bhinoptera adspersa. 



Miill. and Henle, Plagios. p. 183 ; Bleeker, Beng. p. 82 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 149 ; 

 l)umeril, Hist. Nat. Poiss. i, p. 648 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 494. 

 Mutta tirhe, Tamil. 



Disk about twice as -wide as long : tail abont three times as long as disk. Notcli on snout sballow. 

 Teeih — nine rows in the upper and seven in the lower jaw, the teeth ia the central row of the upper jaw 2\ to 

 three tim.es wider than in the antero-posterior direction, but not so wide as those in the next row. Fins — dorsal 

 situated at the base of the tail, and immediately behind it a strong serrated spine. Upper surface of body- 

 covered with fine stellate tubercles. Colours — greenish brown superiorly, becoming lighter at the edges of 

 the disk. 



Amongst Sir Walter Elliot's illustrations of Madras fish are two of this species, the largest being 

 9 inches across the disk. 



Hahitat. — Seas of India. 



2. Bhinoptera Javanica, Plate CXCV, fig. 4 (teeth). 



Muller and Henle, Plagiost. p. 182, t. Iviii ; Bleeker, Plagiost. p. 89 ; Dumeril, Hist. Nat. Poiss. i, p. 647 ; 

 Gvinther, Catal. viii, p. 494. 



HMnoptera affinis, Bleeker, Nat. Verp. HoU. Maatsch. Wet. Haarlem, 1863, Guinee, p. 19. 



Disk from about If to twice as broad as long : tail nearly twice as long as disk. Notch on snout 

 shallow. Teeth — seven rows in either jaws, those in the central row being four or five times wider than in the 

 antero-posterior direction, and rather more than twice as wide as the row on either side. The outer rows are 

 hexagonal and narrow. Those in the lower jaw rather narrower than those in the upper. Fins — dorsal, 

 situated at the base of the tail, and immediately behind it a serrated spine. Golov/rs — greenish superiorly, 

 white beneath. 



The teeth figured are from a large example captured at Kurrachee. 

 Hahitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



B. — Teeth small : cephalic fins forming an appendage on either side of snout. 



Genus, 4 — Diceeobatis, Blaiwoille. 



Gephaloptera and Mohula, A. Dameril. 



Pectoral fin not extended on to the sides of the head, which latter is truncated in front, whilst on either side is 

 a forwardly-pointing horn-lihe projection, which is internally supported hy fin rays. Nostrils not confluent. Teeth 

 in jaws very small, flat, or tuberoulated, and in many rows. Tail whip-like, with a dorsal fin situated above and 

 between the ventrals, armed with or destitute of a serrated spine. 



The designation Sea-devils, has been given by some authors to fishes belonging to this and the 

 succeeding Genus : it is also frequently applied to several other forms of armed Rays, and fishes which inflict 

 dangerous wounds. 



Geographical distribution. — Tropical and temperate seas. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Bicerobatis eregoodoo. Teeth numerous in both jaws. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Bicerobatis Kuhlii. Teeth Ifiia.. East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



1. Dioerobatis eregoodoo, Plate OXCIII, fig. 1. 



Baja, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 5, and Uregoodoo tenhee, pi. ix. 



Gephaloptera eregoodo-tenkee, Cuvier, Regne Anim. 



Bicerobatis eregoodoo, Bleeker, Beng. p. 82 ; Cantor, Catal. Mai. Pish, p. 438 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. & Sc 

 1851, p. 149 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 497. ' 



Gephaloptera eregoodoo, Dum6ril, Hist. Nat. Poiss. i, p. 655. 



Disk about twice as broad as long : tail in the young 1^ times the length of the body, but in adults onlv 

 a little more than 1/2 the same length. Body smooth. The horns or cephalic portion of the pectoral fin have 

 a convoluted appearance, and " are used by the animal to draw its prey into its mouth, which opens like a 

 huge cavern between them. The fishermen say they see them swimming slowly along, with their mouth open 

 and flapping these great sails inwards, drawing in the smaller Crustacea on which it feeds" (Sir W, Elliot MS ) 

 Teeth—small, like flattened, quadrangular tubercles as broad as wide in adults, twice as broad in the young' 

 vvith a backwardly directed point : |±a, in a jaw twelve inches across the gape taken from an example upwards 

 of eighteen feet across the disk, and ff vertical rows opposite the symphysis. In a pair of jaws from an 

 example captured at Kurrachee, four inches across the jaws there are fff. Cantor found in an example thirty 



