y2 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



Raja eglanteria Lacepede. 



Skate. Brier Ray. Possum Ray. Sea Possum. Bob Tailed 



Skate. 



Length of disk, from tip of snout to base of tail, less than 

 greatest width; interorbital space 2^ in snout measured to eye; 

 width of mouth 2 ; eye 2 in interorbital space ; tail a little less 

 than body measured from tip of snout to its own base. Anterior 

 margins of disk when viewed above at first a little convex, and 

 greatest width of disk falling about last % of its length. Eyes 

 elongate. Mouth a little curved, with more than 40 rows of teeth 

 in each jaw. Above with minute pricks and along middle of 

 anterior margin of disk a patch of enlarged ones. Median line 

 of snout and interorbital space with minute asperities. A median 

 line of thorns from just behind interorbital space, which is shal- 

 lowly concave, to dorsal fins. A spine between dorsals. On each 

 side of tail a series of similar thorns with irregular thorns of 

 smaller size above and between them and median series. Body 

 below smooth, except anterior margins of disk and lower surface 

 of snout, which are finely asperous. A thorn at each shoulder. 

 Dorsals 2, near end of tail, close together, and posterior a little 

 larger. Anterior margin of pectoral nearly straight, posterior 

 edge a little convex. Ventral with anterior lobe a little pro- 

 longed. Color pale brown on upper surface marked with many 

 bars, blotches, spots and lines medianly. A translucent space 

 on each side of snout. Below whitish. A male about 20 inches 

 long. Atlantic City. A little larger female I collected at Angle- 

 sea was altogether more asperous with very distinct markings 

 on the upper surface. 



Abundant, often especially so during summer. I have seen 

 many examples from Barnegat, Atlantic City, Sea Isle City, Stone 

 Harbor, Grassy Sound, Anglesea and Cape May. In the latter 

 place many are taken with sting rays, Dasyhatus, in the pounds 

 built for king crabs and weak fish. It is also sometimes notice- 

 ably abundant there during the fall and occurs in Delaware Bay. 

 Though I have no information of the breeding of this species 

 on our coast Mr. H. Walker Hand saw a pair In coitus off the 



