18G0.] The Cartüaginous Fishes of Lower Benyál. 37 



12. Eh. obtusüs, M. and H. Comparatively rare. I have not 

 seen ifc more tban 2-| ft. long. 



13. Dasyatis hicroura, (Bloch); Baia pcecilum, Shaw. Kare. 



14. Htpolophtjs sephen, (Forsk.) : Baia sancur, B. H. (founded 

 on inutilated individuáis, the caudal spine of which liad been extract- 

 ed). Common. 



15. Aetobatis elagelltjm, (Bloch.). Of this fine species I 

 lately obtained a sraall specimen, with tail and spines complete, and 

 another and larger specimen with mutilated tail. Small dried fish of 

 this species are sometimes brought in considerable quantity. 



JST. B. — The Myliobatis macropterus of McClelland (Cale. Journ. 

 Nat. Hist. I, 60, and pl. II, f, 1,) has never oceurred to me. Drs. 

 Cantor and Bleeker refer it to Aetobatis narinari. 



The Trygons or ordinary ' Sting-rays' are here deferred to the last, 

 because the species of them do not appear to have been properly dis- 

 criminated. All that I have obtained have the tail wholly finless, or 

 with merely such rudiment as in Te. imbricatus. 



The Indian species fall into tvvo principal groups, which might w T ell 

 stand as distinct genera. 



In the first the dorsal surface and tail are sprinkled over through- 

 out with detached limpet-shaped tubercles, and there is usually 

 no large globular central tubercle (or tubercles, as generally in the 

 others and also in Htpolophtjs sephen). # Anterior margin of the 

 disk exceedingly obtuse, the expanded pectorals being continued 

 forward almost to a transverse line with the medial peak where they 



with four short legs and a human face, may be in fact, as in description, a fabled 

 animal ; but it is talked of, and is said to dwell only about the limits of the snow." 

 What is here referred to are probably certain sand-burrowing Lizards of Af- 

 ghánistán, which in the dried state are sold as medicine all over India. One 

 is the true Egyptian Scinque, Scincus officinalis, Laurenti. Another sent by 

 the same ñame by Major Lumsclen, late in chargeof the Kandahar Mission, is the 

 SPH.ENOCEPHALUS TRiDACTYLüS, nobis, J. A. S. XX, 654. Both were obtained 

 in the vicinity of Kandahar. 



* Since the above was written, I have seen an example of Te. makginatus 

 in the museum of the Calcutta Medical College, which has a central tubercle of 

 modérate size followed by a small one. This, I suspect, is very unusual. 



