﻿FISHES. 
  

  

  275 
  

  

  into 
  Aberdeen 
  Market 
  ; 
  length, 
  3 
  feet 
  9 
  inches 
  ; 
  breadth, 
  

   2 
  feet 
  8 
  inches. 
  Another, 
  caught 
  in 
  the 
  Moray 
  Firth 
  in 
  April, 
  

   1900, 
  was 
  given 
  to 
  Dr. 
  Fulton 
  of 
  the 
  Scientific 
  Investigation 
  

   Department 
  of 
  the 
  Scottish 
  Fishery 
  Board, 
  Bay 
  of 
  Nigg. 
  

  

  Family 
  BA11DM. 
  

  

  Genus 
  RAIA, 
  Artedi. 
  

  

  Raia 
  batis, 
  Linn. 
  "Blue 
  Skate." 
  " 
  Grey 
  Skate." 
  

   " 
  Blunt-nosed 
  Dinnan." 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  abundant 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  Rays, 
  and 
  taken 
  in 
  large 
  

   numbers. 
  This 
  Ray 
  is 
  the 
  largest 
  species 
  obtained 
  along 
  the 
  

   east 
  coast 
  of 
  Scotland. 
  Females 
  of 
  from 
  5^ 
  to 
  6 
  feet 
  across 
  

   are 
  frequently 
  brought 
  into 
  Aberdeen 
  Market; 
  the 
  males 
  

   measure 
  from 
  5 
  to 
  5-| 
  feet 
  across. 
  

  

  Raia 
  alba, 
  Lacep. 
  Sharp-nosed 
  Skate. 
  " 
  Doctor." 
  

   "White 
  Skate" 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  the 
  Burton 
  Skate 
  of 
  Couch, 
  vol. 
  i., 
  p. 
  97, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not, 
  

   as 
  Day 
  says, 
  the 
  Bordered 
  Bay 
  of 
  Couch 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  Sharp-nosed 
  

   Bay 
  of 
  Yarrell, 
  1st 
  edition, 
  vol. 
  ii., 
  p. 
  424; 
  and 
  the 
  Baia 
  

   oxyrhynchus 
  of 
  Parnell, 
  as 
  also 
  of 
  Edward, 
  who 
  says, 
  " 
  large 
  

   individuals 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  are 
  sometimes 
  taken." 
  It 
  seems 
  

   evident, 
  however, 
  that 
  the 
  last 
  two 
  writers 
  mix 
  up 
  the 
  

   Long-nosed 
  and 
  Sharp-nosed 
  Skates. 
  Baja 
  lintea 
  of 
  Harvie- 
  

   Brown 
  and 
  Buckley. 
  The 
  Sharp-nosed 
  Skate 
  never 
  attains 
  

   to 
  large 
  proportions 
  ; 
  three 
  feet 
  over 
  all 
  is 
  about 
  the 
  

   maximum 
  length, 
  whereas 
  the 
  Long-nosed 
  Skate 
  attains 
  a 
  

   length 
  of 
  six 
  feet. 
  

  

  B. 
  alba 
  is 
  an 
  abundant 
  species 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  coast, 
  and 
  is 
  

   caught 
  in 
  great 
  numbers. 
  It 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  a 
  peculiar 
  mal- 
  

   formation 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  fin 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  back. 
  

   This 
  fin 
  is 
  sometimes 
  accompanied 
  by 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  appendages. 
  

   I 
  possess 
  three 
  such 
  examples. 
  

  

  Day's 
  statement 
  that 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  the 
  largest 
  British 
  

   form 
  of 
  Skate 
  is, 
  we 
  think, 
  an 
  error. 
  

  

  