1874.] 179 [Garman. 



outlines of the pectorals are slightly sinuous, and form a blunt angle 

 at the end of the muzzle; their exterior and posterior angles are 

 rounded. In addition to the spines found on the pectorals, head, 

 back and sides of the tail, as in the others, this skate is marked by 

 the possession of bucklers. These are large, strong spines, with 

 broad bases, differing from those on the pectorals by their great size 

 and solidity. They are distributed as follows: one or two in front of 

 each eye; one on each side, between the eye and the spiracle; one 

 just back of each spiracle; a pair on the shoulder, the smaller in 

 front; and fourteen or more forming a dorsal row, beginning just 

 back of the head and extending to the caudals. The spines scat- 

 tered over the pectorals have stellate bases instead of the broad and 

 shield-like ones of the bucklers. The medium sized spines on the 

 anterior margin of the pectoral diminish in size toward the outer 

 angle. There is a row, more or less irregular, of spines on each side 

 of the tail, separated from the membrane by a band of shagreen; 

 these are of about the size of those opposite the cheeks. This spe- 

 cies has two or more rows of the peculiar hooks on the pectorals of 

 the male. 



The color in the specimens from which the description is taken is 

 nearly uniform brown. 



The teeth are nearly round on the base, and have a long, sharp 

 point rising from the middle and hooking backward in the male; 

 those of the female are more blunt. The claspers are large and 

 stout, flattened, widened, and rounded toward their extremities. 



Size of male from Nahant: L. 21, 6£, lOf. W. 15. Teeth ff. Size 

 of female from Nahant : L. 22, 6|, 12f W. 15^ Teeth ff. 



One of the specimens is, in all respects, a female, but possesses 

 small undeveloped claspers ; it has but one caudal, the posterior. The 

 females have more spines than the other sex, and are larger. 



4. Raja eglanteria. 



Raja eglanteria (Bosc. Mss.) Lacepede, Hist. d'Poiss., Tom. u, p. 

 103 et 109, 1800. 



Raja diapliana Mitch., Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc, N. Y., Vol. i, p^ 

 478, 1815. 



Raja desmarestia Lesueur, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sci., Vol. iv, p. 100, pi. 

 4 (d" juv.), 1824. 



Raja chautenay Lesueur, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sci., Vol. iv, p. 106 (fig. 

 9, adult), 1824. 



Raja desmarestia M. et H., Plagiostomen, p. 154, 1841. 



