428 COLONEL MONTAGU ON NZW AND RARE 



Bono VAN remarks, that he has noticed the same 

 spots on the Skate in every stage of growth, and 

 therefore suspects the Miraletus to be only a va- 

 riety of some other, and mentions the Homer- 

 ling as its probable origin. Now, as the pro- 

 vincial name of Homerling or Hommelin, has (we 

 are told in the late edition of Pennant's British 

 Zoology) been applied to the Skate as well as the 

 Rough Ray, neither of which are even similarly 

 spotted, as represented in Donovan's figure, I 

 am at a loss to guess what species is meant by the 

 Homerling. In the first volume of the Wernerian 

 Memoirs, p. 553., it will be seen, that in the List 

 of Fishes found in the Frith of Forth by Mr 

 Neill, the name of Hommelin is applied to Raia 

 Rubus, and which is so clearly defined to be the 

 male Thornback, that we cannot omit transcribing 

 the very significant description conveyed in a few 

 words by that ichthyologist : " This occurs some- 

 times, especially when trawling-nets are employed, 

 which sweep along the bottom. It resembles the 

 Thornback ; but has pointed teeth, while those of 

 the Thornback are obtuse." This so perfectly ac- 

 cords with the opinion I have given, that it does 

 not admit of a doubt that the male Thornback has 

 been described for more species than one, and by 

 many authors for the Rubus. It is rather sur- 

 prising, that the Miraletus of DoNoyAN, should 

 have been likened to the Homerling, when that 

 able ichthyologist had in a former part of his ex- 



