342 PLAGIOSTOMATA. 



efforts to escape. Off Cornwall Couch observes tliat the earliest he had met with 

 was taken in April. 



Uses. — Oil is extracted from its liver. 



Habitat. — The seas of western Europe, from those of the north to Prance 

 where it is pretty common, and through the Mediterranean, also as far south in 

 the Atlantic as Madeira. Resident in Yorkshire, and reported to be common in 

 the North Sea (Yorkshire Yertebrata) : it is also found along our south coast, 

 and has been obtained in Cornwall (Couch). 



The specimen figured is one-fifth natural size, and in the National collection. 



5. Raia fullonica, Plate CLXX. 



Mala, sp. no. 6, Artedi, Gen. p. 72, and Synon. p. 101. Shagreen Hay, 

 Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 87 (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 117; Shaw, Zool. v, 

 p. 281. 



Raia -fullonica, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 396 ; Ascan. Icon. t. xliii ; Bl. Schn. 

 p. 367; Turton, p. Ill; Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 6; Pries. Yet. Ak. Handl. 1838, 

 p. 150, t. ii, f . 2 ; Miill. and Henle, p. 145 ; Yarrell, Brit. Fishes (ed. 1) ii, p. 578, 

 c. fig. (ed. 2) ii, p. '578 (ed. 3) ii, p. 577 ; Kroyer, Danm. Pisk. t. iii, p. 996, c. fig. ; 

 White, Catal. p. 138 ; Nilss. Skand. Fauna, iv, p. 737 ; Collett, Norges Fiske, 

 p. 217 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 467 ; Winther, Prod. Dan. Mar. p. 61 ; Giglioli, 

 Catal. Pesc. Ital. p. 54. 



Raia granulosa, Bl. Schn. p. 368. 



Raia flossada, Bisso, Eur. Merid. iii, p. 145. 



Haia chagrinea, Pennant, 1. c. ; Lacep. i, p. 81 ; Turton, p. Ill ; Montagu, Wern. 

 Mem. ii, p. 420, pi. xxi ; Parnell, Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin. 1840, xiv, p. 144, and 

 Wern. Mem. vii, p. 431, pi. xli ; Jenyns, Man. p. 513 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Ire- 

 land, iv, p. 260 ; Dumeril, Ich. i, p. 560 ; Moreau, Poiss. de la France, i, p. 401. 



Raia aspera, Flem. Brit. An. p. 172. 



Leucoraja fullonica, Malm, Fauna, p. 609. 



Shagreen Ray, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, i, p. 117, pi. xxix. 



Form of body rhomboidal ; the front edge of the disk concave and undulated, 

 and one-third longer than the hind edge, which is convex. Snont cone-shaped 

 and sharp. Disk rather wider than the distance from the end of the snout to the 

 posterior extremity of the anal fin. The tail not quite so long as the disk. Fyes 

 — large, 4^ to 5 diameters from the end of the snout, and 3 to 3f- apart. Spiracles 

 close behind orbits, than which they are slightly smaller. Mouth large. Teeth — 

 pointed, and in about 64 rows in the upper and 56 in the lower jaw. Fins — 

 dorsals rather close together, small, and of equal size ; a rudimentary caudal. 

 Skin — on upper surface granulated to the touch, except at the base of the 

 ventral and anal fins, where it is smooth. About four or six large and bent 

 spines on the snout, and ten or twelve round the upper margin of the orbit. 

 Along the centre of the back a row of about six spines, which about opposite the 

 base of the ventral fin change into two rows, are continued as far as the dorsal 

 fins, and increase in size posteriorly ; while two or 'three irregular rows of spines 

 are situated along either side of the tail. No spines along the central line of 

 the tail. Colours — yellowish brown superiorly ; pure white beneath. Montagu 

 mentions a specimen which had a few black spots. 



Names. — The term Fuller's ray is derived from the instrument fullers use in 

 smoothing cloth, the back being rongh and spiny (Pennant). Long-nosed dinnan, 

 Aberdeen (Sim). Rough flapper, Edinburgh (Parnell). Bun cow, West country 

 (Montagu). Morcath jfreinig, Welsh. La Raie Chagrinee, French. 



Habits. — Frequents deep waters, and is not captured during the winter. 



As food. — Inferior. 



Habitat. — Along the coasts of western Europe and British Isles ; is taken 

 off France, but becomes rare in the Mediterranean. In the Moray Firth Mr. 

 McGregor only observed one specimen, which was taken in February on a line 

 at 50 fathoms depth, it was 2 feet 8| inches long (Couch) : Aberdeen (Sim): 

 Firth of Forth occasionally captured in the stake nets in deep water, more 



