TRYGONID^E. 351 



Disk almost quadrangular with the angles rounded, slightly wider than long, 

 and the front line to the pectoral angle rather longer than the hind one, while the 

 body along the middle line of the back is rather elevated. Snout angular but 

 short. Length of tail exceeding the width of the disk. Eyes — small, about 2 

 diameters apart and 3 from the end of the snout. Spiracles close behind the 

 orbits, than which they are larger. Mouth small, its width equalling about two- 

 thirds the length of the snout: nasal valves well developed. Teeth — small, blunt, 

 and in several rows. Fins — ventrals ahsent : anal small. No fin on the tail, but 

 a strong, sharp-pointed osseous spine, the sides of which are strongly serrated, the 

 points of the serratures being directed towards the body of the fish. Also there is 

 a cutaneous fold along the tail both above and below the latter, beginning beneath 

 the base of the spine, while the superior commences behind it. Shin — smooth, 

 except occasionally there exist some tubercles along the middle line of the back in 

 the scapular region. Colours — bluish black, brown, or said to be sometimes dirty 

 yellow ; under surface white. The young are spotted either with white, or else 

 dark spots. 



Varieties. — It has been supposed that two spines being present at one time on 

 the tail of these fishes is due to their shedding this weapon periodically, and the 

 new one has appeared prior to the old one having dropped off. 



Names. — Sting ray owing to the spine on its tail: fire flare, and fiery flaw, 

 possibly due, according to Yarrell, to the very red character of its flesh. Those 

 possessing two spines on the tail were said to have been known in Cornwall as 

 Cardinal Trilost or " three-tailed " (Pennant). Morcath lefn, Welsh. De Pijlstaart- 

 rog, Dutch. La Pastenaque commune, French. 



Habits. — This species keeps on sandy or oozy ground at no great distance 

 from land, and is often taken in shallow waters. The serrated spine on the tail of 

 this fish occasions severe lacerated wounds of which fearful accounts have been 

 transmitted by the Ancients. Pliny, iElian, and Oppian asserted that the venom 

 w r ith which it was endowed was capable of causing injury to even vegetable and 

 mineral substances, trees losing their verdure, and rocks being even affected. 

 Circe armed her son with a spear which she pointed with a Trygon's spine as 

 the most formidable weapon she could place in his hands, and with which he 

 subsequently unintentionally slew his father, Ulysses. Anyhow, these wounds 

 are dangerous, for at Cochin I have had to amputate the arm of a native which 

 was mortified owing to a wound from one of these fishes having divided the 

 muscles and other structures almost to the bone. 



Means of capture. — Trawls, or by baits. 



As food. — Useless, as its flesh is rank and disagreeable. 



Uses. — Oil from its liver, which, Dillwyn observes, is considered by the Welsh 

 fishermen as a cure for burns and other wounds. 



Habitat. — This fish has a wide range having been captured from the Nor- 

 wegian coast, not only around our shores but on both sides of the Atlantic, in the 

 Mediterranean, and likewise in China and Japan. Firth of Forth where Parnell 

 secured one specimen (Parnell). Resident in Yorkshire, and occasionally taken 

 off Whitby and in Bridlington Bay (Yorkshire Yertebrata) : Norfolk (Lowe) : 

 Mr. Gurney mentions one weighing 28 lb., which he saw taken off Kessingland, 

 Suffolk, September, 1856, which had a double spine : Mr. Gunn records one from 

 Yarmouth, in 1869, 3^- ft. long, and weighing 561b. Not uncommon off the 

 mouth of the Thames and along the south coast. Couch refers to one from 

 W hitsand Bay : one was taken off Porthcurrow sands, nine miles from Penzance, 

 August 22, 1870 (Cornish Zool. p. 2347) : one was brought me on August 10, 

 1881, at Penzance, while about ten days previously two had been captured in 

 St. Ives Bay. Swansea, common in the bay : one with two caudal spines is also 

 recorded (Dillwyn). 



Ireland. — Occasionally taken on the coast (Tcmpleton): Cai'rickfergus (Meenan) : 

 Smith's Cork, which locality Thompson considers as probably erroneous : off 

 Waterford a number were taken in 1846-47 at one haul of a trawl net (Good). 



The specimen figured is from Penzance. Pennant observes that the largest 

 he ever saw was 2 ft. 9 in. long, and 20 in. across the fish. 



