PISCES. 243 
the anterior part of the body. Ex.: Torpedo. An American species of 
this family has recently been described. 
Fam. 19. Rasmr. Head margined by the broad pectoral fins; body 
rhomboidal ; tail slender, elongated ; two dorsal fins; teeth slender, nume- 
rous, polymorphous, arranged in quincunx. KEx.: Raia, Uraptera. ‘The 
species of Raia are numerous in various parts of the world. Raia batis is 
represented in pl. 85, fig. 1. 
Fam. 20. Tryeontnt. Head margined by the broad pectorals; tail slen- 
der, with a strong serrated spine ; teeth minute, paved, arranged in quin- 
cunx. Ex.: Trygon. . 
Fam. 21. Anacantuint. Similar to the last, but without the caudal 
spine. Ex.: Anacanthus. 
Fam. 22. Myziopatini. Head ovate, separate from the broadly acu- 
minate pectoral fins; tail very slender, elongated ; dorsal fin with a strong 
serrated spine; teeth large, paved somewhat like mosaic. Ex.: Myliobatis, 
LEtobatis, Rhinoptera. 
Fam. 23. Cernatoprertni. Head truncate, with foliaceous appendages 
on each side; pectorals very broad, laterally extended; tail very slender, 
elongated ; dorsal fin with a serrated spine; teeth minute. Ex.: Cepha- 
loptera. Species of this family, some of them of immense size, are taken in 
Delaware Bay, as well as on other parts of the coast of the United States. 
They are universally known to American fishermen by the name of 
“devil-fish,” and individuals have been captured measuring eighteen feet 
across the back. 
Fish belonging to the family Trygonini, above referred to, abound in the 
sounds which extend along the coast of New Jersey, where they are called 
“sting-rays,’ or more commonly “sting-rees.” They have been known to 
inflict severe, and often very dangerous wounds, with the spine of the tail, 
when handled incautiously. 
In the above enumeration of the families of the Selachii we have 
departed from our usual custom of illustrating the different sections by 
special reference to North American genera and species. Unfortunately, 
the materials at our command, owing to the little attention paid to the sub- 
ject by American naturalists, are too scanty to permit any accurate com- 
parisons or indications of the kind desirable. The fossil species have 
recently been ably worked up by Dr. R. W: Gibbes in a monograph pub- 
lished in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences. From this 
valuable paper we find that there are 6 fossil species of Carcharodon, 6 of 
Galeocerdo, Hemipristis 1, Glyphis 1, Sphyrna 3, Notidanus 1, Lamna 9, 
Otodus 7, Oxyrhina 9, Pristis 1, Spinax 1, Hybodus 1, Myliobatis 2; 
making 13 genera, and 48 species. 
447 
