﻿FISHES. 
  

  

  277 
  

  

  [Raia 
  microcellata, 
  Montagu. 
  Painted 
  Ray. 
  

  

  Marked 
  as 
  local 
  by 
  Howden, 
  but, 
  as 
  usual, 
  with 
  no 
  

   information 
  as 
  to 
  where 
  or 
  when 
  caught, 
  or 
  where 
  to 
  be 
  

   seen.] 
  

  

  Raia 
  circularis, 
  Couch. 
  " 
  Eel-pot." 
  " 
  Cuckoo 
  Ray." 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  our 
  most 
  abundant 
  Rays, 
  and 
  is 
  caught 
  in 
  

   large 
  numbers 
  both 
  by 
  line 
  and 
  trawl. 
  It 
  never 
  attains 
  a 
  

   large 
  size, 
  two 
  to 
  two 
  and 
  one-half 
  feet 
  over 
  all 
  being 
  the 
  

   maximum 
  of 
  length, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  generally 
  under 
  that 
  size. 
  

  

  Raia 
  radula, 
  Delar. 
  Sandy 
  Ray. 
  

  

  This 
  form 
  is 
  one 
  over 
  which 
  much 
  difference 
  of 
  opinion 
  

   has 
  existed, 
  but 
  after 
  many 
  years' 
  study 
  of 
  this 
  particular 
  

   fish, 
  during 
  which 
  time 
  I 
  have 
  obtained 
  it 
  in 
  all 
  stages 
  

   of 
  its 
  existence, 
  I 
  am 
  fully 
  satisfied 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  genuine 
  

   species. 
  

  

  No 
  Scottish 
  author, 
  in 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  am 
  aware, 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  

   observed 
  this 
  fish, 
  except, 
  perhaps, 
  Edward, 
  who 
  speaks 
  

   of 
  Baia 
  spinosa, 
  the 
  Sandy 
  Bay, 
  which 
  he 
  says 
  "is 
  well 
  

   known 
  to 
  the 
  fishermen, 
  but 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  often 
  take 
  it." 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Naturalist, 
  vol. 
  vii., 
  p. 
  150 
  " 
  W," 
  i.e., 
  Walter 
  Grigor, 
  

   reports 
  the 
  Sandy 
  Ray, 
  Baia 
  spinosa, 
  as 
  having 
  been 
  caught 
  

   in 
  the 
  Moray 
  Firth, 
  January 
  12th, 
  1857. 
  The 
  description 
  

   given 
  shows, 
  however, 
  that 
  the 
  fish 
  was 
  not 
  the 
  Sandy 
  Bay 
  but 
  

   Baia 
  circularis. 
  

  

  To 
  the 
  form 
  under 
  consideration 
  no 
  fewer 
  than 
  fourteen 
  

   different 
  names 
  have 
  been 
  given, 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  earlier 
  writers 
  

   holding 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  distinct 
  species, 
  while 
  latterly 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  

   bandied 
  about 
  from 
  variety 
  to 
  species, 
  and 
  back 
  again, 
  until 
  

   one 
  can 
  scarcely 
  say 
  how 
  the 
  matter 
  at 
  present 
  stands. 
  

  

  Couch, 
  Thomson, 
  and 
  Yarrell 
  hold 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  distinct 
  

   species 
  ; 
  while 
  Drs. 
  Giinther 
  and 
  Day, 
  in 
  their 
  respective 
  

   works, 
  consider 
  Baia 
  radula 
  as 
  merely 
  the 
  adult 
  form 
  of 
  Baia 
  

   circularis, 
  the 
  latter 
  author 
  assuming 
  that 
  his 
  B. 
  circularis 
  and 
  

   the 
  Cuckoo 
  and 
  Sandy 
  Rays 
  of 
  Couch 
  are 
  one 
  and 
  the 
  same. 
  

  

  Before, 
  however, 
  going 
  farther, 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  point 
  out 
  

   that 
  B. 
  circularis 
  of 
  Day 
  is 
  the 
  Homelyn 
  Ray 
  — 
  Home, 
  Sandy, 
  

  

  