124 CUVIER RAY. Class IV. 



old enough to breed, are called maids. The 

 thornback begins to be in season in November, 

 and continues so later than skate, but the 

 young of both are good at all times of the 

 year. 



g. Cuvier. La Raie Cuvier. DelaCepede Neill in Mem. Wern. Soc. 

 Hist, des Poissons. i. 141. 554. 



tab. 7- /■ 1. 



[THIS singular Ray, first described by de la 

 Cepede, was taken in the Frith of Forth in 

 Descrip- 1808. It is chiefly distinguished from others 

 of the genus, by the situation of the dorsal fin, 

 which is upright, of an oval shape, and placed 

 in the middle of the back. The nose is pointed, 

 the pectoral fins large and angular ; the ventral 

 fins are divided into two portions, one of which 

 seems to represent the true ventral, the other an 

 anal fin ; the tail is slender, of the same length 

 as the remainder of the body to the nose, and 

 terminates in a small caudal fin, on the upper 

 side are also two smaller fins connected with 

 the former. A row of spines extends from the 

 first dorsal fin to the origin of the tail, on which 

 are three rows of spines ; there are none on the 

 head or the rest of the body. On the upper 

 side are several round or oval spots. The teeth 



TION. 



