RAIA. 



Aqtjii. "V. The body is fmootli ; the tail is pinnate, with 

 nloiiir ferrate fpine. This fpecics is of a rliomboidal fhape, 

 but witli a conliderable Jihitatioii : the peftoral liiis approach 

 to a (ubfalcateJ form : ttie colour is cinereous above ; pale 

 or whitidi beneath : the head is rather large, and the fnout 

 produced : the eyes are large and prominent, with yellow 

 irid*s : the tail is long, (lender, fliarp-pointed, and furnifhcd 

 about the middle with a fpine iimilar to that of tiie iling- 

 ray. This fpecies grows to a very great fr/.e, fomctimcs 

 meafuring ten, twelve, or even fifteen feet in length, and 

 weighing upwards of three hundred pounds. It is found in 

 the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Indian feas, and is faid 

 to fwim in a flower manner than moll other rays ; it preys 

 on fmaller fillies, and is fuppofed to ilrikc and kill, or at 

 leaft difable its prey with tiie caudal fpine : when taken, it 

 is obferved to vibrate the tail with great ftrength and rapi- 

 dity in all diredions. It is not reckoned among the edible 

 fifhes ; but the liver, which is very large,' is faid fometimes 

 to be eaten, though it is more frequently ufed for the pur- 

 pofe of preparing from it a clear oil, which it affords in great 

 plenty. 



* Pastixac'A ; Sting-rav. The body of this fpecies is 

 fmooth ; its tail has a long (harp fpine, ferrate on t!ie fore 

 part, and another on the back : there arc two other varieties, 

 of which the one has a fmooth body ; the back is befet with 

 two fpines, ferrate on the fore part ; the body of the other 

 is covered with fpots. 



This fpecies is defcribed as having a body fomewhat ap- 

 proaching to the ovate, the peftoral fins lefs pointed than 

 in fome other fpecies of this divifion. The fnout is pointed ; 

 the body more convex than ufual ; the colour of the wliole 

 animal above of a yellowilh-olive, but the back ii fometimes 

 foimd to approach to a bluei(h-brown ; beneath it is whiti(h ; 

 the tail is of a confiderable length, and without a fin, very 

 thick at the bafe, and gradually tapering to the extremity, 

 which is very (lender : near the middle it is armed, on the 

 upper part, with a very long, flattened, and (harp-pointed 

 bone or fpine, finely lerrated in a reverfed direction on both 

 fides ; with this the animal is capable of infliiiling very fe- 

 vere wounds on fuch as incautioufly attempt to handle it ; 

 and it anfwers the purpofe both of an offcnfive and defenfive 

 weapon. This weapon is annually call, and as it frequently 

 happens that the new fpine has arrived at a confiderable fizc 

 before the old one has been caft, the animal is occafionally 

 found with two, in which ftate it has been fometimes erro- 

 iieoufiy confidered as a diftintl fpecies. This fifli is faid not 

 to grow to a very large lize. It is found in the Mediterra- 

 nean, Atlantic, and Indian feas, and is numbered among 

 the edible rays. On account of the danger attending the 

 wfiunds infiiited by the fpine, it is ufual with the fifhermen 

 to cut oft the tail as foon as the fifh is taken. In fome conn- 

 tries it is faid to be illegal to fell the fi(h with the tail ad- 

 hering to it. 



It was formerly thought that the fpine of the fi(h po(re(r- 

 €d a venomous quality, by infufing into a wound made by 

 it fome very aftive poifon ; this is now proved to be com- 

 pletely erroneous, and the effcfts fometimes produced by 

 it arife entirely from the dtcpnefs of the punAure and lacera- 

 tion, which, if taking place in a tendinous part, or among 

 the larger nerves and blood-vefTels, have often proved fatsl. 

 It may not be aniifs to obferve, that fome ancient writers 

 have defcanted upon the effefts of this animal's powerful 

 weapon in terms of confiderable luxuriance ; it was fuppofed 

 to be not only poifonous in the living animal, but to pre- 

 ferve its poifon when taken from the filb, and affixed to the 

 head of an arrow or a fpear ; it was faid even to deftroy 

 the mod healthy ajid fiourifhing plant by its touch, and 



7 



even to caufe trees to die by (Irikiiiff the bark with i- 

 point. It formed the head of the fatal fpear prefented 

 by Circe to her fon Telegonus, by which he was rcn- 

 dered fuperior to his enemies, and with which he, at 

 li;ngth, unconicioufly, (lew his father Ulyiles. The general 

 habits of this fpecies are fimilar to thofe of the rell (;f tlie 

 genus, often lying flat, and in ambnfcade on the foft mud at 

 the bottom of the fhores which it frequents, and feizing its 

 prey by furpcize ; at other times it will purfue it through 

 the depths of the ocean. 



* Ci.AVA TA ; Thornback. The body of this fpecies is 

 fpinous ; the teeth tiiberculate ; acrofs the belly is a ftrong 

 femilunar cartilage. This fpecies grows to a very confider. 

 able fize, though rarely equal in magnitude to the (kate al- 

 ready defcribed ; in its general appearance it refembles that 

 fi(h, but is fomewhat broader in proportion, and is readily 

 difHngui(hed from the (l<ale by the very ftrong, curved fpines 

 with which its upper furface is covered ; thefe are moil con- 

 fpicuous down the middle and on each fide of the back, 

 where four or fix, of much larger fize than the relt, are ge- 

 nerally feen ; the remaining parts being furniflied with many 

 feattered fpines of a fmaller fize, intermixed with ilill more 

 minute ones, and the whole (kin is of a rough, or (hagreen- 

 like furface ; the back is marked with an uncertain number 

 of pale or whitifli nnnid fpots of different fizes, and which 

 are commonly furrounded with a blackilh or dark coloured 

 edge ; thefe fpots are faid to be caufcd by the fliedding of 

 the fpines at different intervals ; along the middle of the 

 back runs a fingle row of ftrong fpines, continued to the tip 

 of the tail ; the colour of the (kin is a brownifh-grey, vvitli 

 irregular blackiih or dufky variegations ; the under part is 

 white, with a fight caft of^ flefn-colour, and about the mid- 

 dle of the body, as well as on the fins, are difpofed feveral 

 fpines fimilar to thofe on the upper fide, hut lefs ftrong. 

 The thornback is an inhabitant of the Mediterranean and 

 other feas, and is held in fome efteem as food, though not 

 confidered equal to the (kate in goodnefs. 



RiiiNOBATos. Body long, tapering ; fnout lengthened. 

 This is reckoned a very remarkable fpecies, and is thought 

 to connetl in fome degree the genera of raia and fqualus, 

 the body being much longer than in the preceding kinds 

 of ray ; the fnout is lengthened, but notj very (harp ; 

 and the body, which is moderately convex above, and flat 

 beneath, gradually tapers from the (houlder to the tail, 

 which is furniflied above with two fins, of an oblong (hape, 

 and lituated at a confiderable diftance from each other : the 

 tip of the tail is alfo dilated into an oblong fin. The colour 

 of the whole fi(h is of a dull earthy brov/n, paler beneath, 

 and the (kin is every where roughened by minute tubercles. 

 This fill is faid to grow to the length of about four feet, 

 and is a native of the European feas. It is very frequently 

 feea about the coatts of Naples. 



DjiDDENsis;. Tail-fin two-lobed ; fpines in a triple row 

 at the beginning of the back, and afterwards in a fingle 

 row ; the firft dorfal fin is above the ventral. It inhabits 

 the Red fea, and is about two yards long. The body is a 

 little rough, and of a pale a(h colour ; above it is varied 

 with v.'hitilh fpots ; beneath it is whitilh ; behind the vent 

 are a few brown and white ftripes. 



Ly.mma. Body oval, fmooth, teftaceous, with blue 

 fpots ; pinnate tail with a fingle fpine. It inhabits the Red 

 fea ; is hardly a loot long ; the fpots oval, unequal, beneath 

 whitilh. It is much allied to the eagle-ray, and is of a 

 reddi(h-brown colour above; the tail is fomewhat longer 

 than the body, marked above, for half its length, with two 

 longitudinal blue ftripes, and is furniflied r.bout the middle 

 with one, and fometimes with two, large and ferrated fpines, 



which 



