MYLIOBATIU^E. 353 



pectoral angle acute, the line from the snout to the angle of the pectoral rather 

 concave opposite the eyes from thence straight ; posterior edge rather concave and 

 undulated. Snout produced. Tail from half longer to twice as long as the 

 body (Lowe), and becoming rounded and much thinner posterior to the spine. 

 Eyes — lateral, being protected by a bony ridge which overhangs them. Spiracles 

 large. Teeth — in adult specimens in seven transverse rows, and in each jaw they 

 form a portion of a circle, the centre ones in the upper jaw from four to six 

 times as broad as long, while the three lateral rows on either side are hexagonal. 

 Fins — ventrals rather small, square dorsal ; a small fin on the anterior fourth of the 

 tail posterior to which is a strong spine serrated on both sides as in Trygon. 

 Skin smooth. Colours — generally olive-green above, white beneath ; but subject 

 to great variation, the young being sometimes spotted with white. 



Varieties. — The spine on the tail is occasionally double, which may be accounted 

 for similarly to that of the Trygon (see page 351). 



Names. — Mill-skate, due to the rolling and crushing nature of its teeth ; whip- 

 ray, from the length of its tail : eagle-ray, or sea-eagle, from the form of its 

 extended pectoral fins : toad fish. Myliobate aigle, French. 



Habits. — Swims rapidly, and when first captured it flourishes its tail about in 

 every direction, while wounds from its spine are dangerous, as in the Trygon. 



Breeding. — In December, 1867, Buckland observed that Mr. Henry Lee 

 obtained what they considered to be an egg of this fish at Margate, the purse 

 which contained the embryo being eight inches long and five wide, while from it 

 were flat tendrils about ten inches in length. Their common name is " Devil's 

 purses." The surface of the centre of the purse is thickly set with raised longi- 

 tudinal lines, with closely set dotted or raised lines crossing them. Near the 

 ends and sides of these purses squares are formed which grow finer at the borders 

 and are lost at the edge. Mr. Couch received one of these purses dredged from 

 Fowey, which contained an embryo. Moreau observes that this is an error, and 

 cites an instance of a fisherman who having captured one of these fish placed it 

 in his boat, when it brought forth seven young at the same time. 



As food. — Of medium quality according to Risso, but rejected in most places. 



Habitat. — This fish has an extensive range, extending through the 

 Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean, and Australian seas. In Berwick Bay, 

 on September 11, 1838, one was found dead, but fresh — length of disk 13 inches, 

 of tail 2H inches, breadth of disk 21 inches (Johnston). Another is recorded 

 in the " Natural History Transactions of Northumberland and Durham " (vol. v, 

 p. 338), as captured off Cullercoats : another was taken there on November 5, 

 1875, the breadth of which was 18| inches (Wright). Scarborough (Travis 

 and Pennant) : one taken from the Norfolk estuary is in the Lynn Museum, 

 and the skeleton of one found dead on Lowestoft beach, June 19, 1867, was 

 in the possession of Mr. Harper, of Norwich (Gunn). In 1871, November 1, 

 one was taken at Torbay 27i inches across, and it is now in the Exeter 

 Museum. Another from the same locality has been recorded by Swayne (Proc. 

 Bristol Nat. Soc. 1878, p. 126). Mr. Gatcombe (Land and Water, October 9, 

 1880) observes that he had examined three or four examples of this rare species 

 caught at various times off Plymouth, the last of which was taken on May 1, and 

 measured 18 inches across. One weighing 7 lb. was stated to have been taken 

 off Christchurch, Hants, in October, 1880 — length of body 14 inches, of tail 

 25 inches (R. Sharp, Land and Water, October 16, 1880). A fine female 

 example, 34- } inches across and 26| inches long, excluding the tail, was taken 

 at Torbay, and received in Cheltenham on November 3, 1883, this I believe 

 to be the largest British specimen l-ecorded. It has been captured once off 

 Cornwall (Cornish Fauna). 



In Ireland it has been stated to have been taken in a bag-net set for 

 salmon at Ardfry ; but M'Calla (on being interrogated) was unable to determine 

 the species. 



The specimen figured is from Mr. Rodda's collection at Plymouth, and 

 9 inches from snout to base of caudal, the latter being 15 1 inches long, while the 

 breadth of the fish is 15} inches. 



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