THE STING EAYS. 665 



manufacture from it a kind of oil, which is used as a liniment to prevent the attacks of the buffalo- 

 gnat. Mr. Stearns writes : 



"The Alligator Gar is very abundant everywhere on the Gulf coast, living in both fresh and 

 salt water. Like the salt-water catfish, it will eat anything. It preys largely upon all fish smaller 

 than itself, and the young are, I believe, particularly destructive to fishes' eggs and young fry. 

 Some think that this fish does more damage to the small food-fishes than any other fish on the 

 coast does. It is simply useless to place 'set-nets' where the Gar is abundant. Many are caught 

 in seines with other fishes and are thrown ashore to be destroyed. I have seen Gars that would 

 measure seven feet in length ; the average Is two feet. With the larger ones the bill is not pro- 

 portionately as long as with the smaller ones, but is stouter." 



198. THE RAYS, TORPEDOES AND SKATES— RAI2E. 



There are six or seven species of Eays upon the Atlantic coast, none of which are of impor- 

 tance to man, except so far as they are dangerous or annoying to the fishermen, or are destructive 

 of useful marine animals. 



The Stin& Eats. 



The Sting Eay, Trygon centrura, ranges farther to the north than any of the other species, having 

 been observed on the shoal parts of George's Banks ; it does not, however, pass the limit of Gape 

 Cod. The Sting Eay attains an enormous size, its disk sometimes measuring five or six feet across, 

 and its entire length, including the long, flexible tail, ten feet or more. It feeds entirely upon the 

 large species of marine invertebrates, such as crabs, squids, clams, and sea-snails. The strong 

 serrated spine situated upon the top of the tail near its junction with the body can inflict dan- 

 gerous wounds, and several instances are on record of serious injury to fishermen who have had 

 their hands or feet transfixed by it. These fish are often taken in considerable numbers in the 

 pounds and weirs. 



There are two or three other species of Sting Eay or Stingaree on the southern Atlantic and 

 Gulf coasts, the commonest of which, Trygon sabina, is found in the rivers, ascending the Saint 

 John's to the upper lakes, and also clear along the coast. Concerning its habits in the Gulf of 

 Mexico, Mr. Stearns writes : 



"The Sting Eay or Stingaree is abundant all along the Gulf coast. It is present aU the year, 

 but is most commonly seen is warm weather, while upon the shoals in search of food. I have 

 canght these fish with young continuously from April tp the latter part of October. The usual 

 number of a brood is three or four, but I have seen as many as eight or nine taken from large 

 individuals. Possibly the age or size of the parent may affect the number of young they bear. 

 They feed upon shell-fish. Small ones are quite tame, coming near the shore in search of food, 

 and when disturbed quickly bury themselves in the sand or dart away a short distance. The 

 larger and older ones are more wary, seldom coming into very shoal water, and at the least disturb- 

 ance swim away with great rapidity to deep water. The Sting Eay has a barbed spine on its tail 

 which it uses in self-defense. It is sometimes caught with hook and line, but more often in seines, 

 and then it uses its tail as a whip upon its captors, trying to wound them with its spine. Such 

 wounds are often dangerous, and very painful and difScult to heal. The Sting Eay attains an 

 enormous size, and specimens six or seven feet across the back are frequently caught. I caught a 

 specimen off Cedar Keys whose spine had been broken off and replaced by a new one which grew 

 out beneath the old one. 



"Capt. Joseph Pogarty, of Manatee, reports having seen a large school of Sting Eays in Long 

 Boat Inlet. They were swimming near the bottom, very closely crowded together. 



