STING-RAY. 
1099 
II. 1, p. 41; Kr., Damn. Fiske, vol. Ill, p. 1018; Nilss., 
Skand. Fna, Fisk., p. 741; Rhdt, Vid. Meddel. Naturh. 
For. Kbhvn 1864, p. 276; Dum., Hist. Nat. Poiss ., tom. 
I, p. 600; Gthr, Cat. Brit. Alas., Fish., vol. VIII, p. 
478; Winth., Naturh. Tidskr. Kbhvn, ser. Ill, vol. XII, p. 
61; Mob., IIcke, Fisch. Osts., p. 158; Day, Fish. Gt. Brit., 
Irel., vol. II, p. 350, tab. CLXXV ; DOderl., Man. Ittiol. 
Medit., fasc. Ill, p. 220; Peters., Vid. Meddel. Naturh. 
For. Kbhvn 1884, p. 160; Lii.lj., Sr., Norg. Fisk., vol. 
III, p. 539. 
Trygon lyrnma , GeOffr., Descr. Egypt., Poiss., p. 219, tab. 
27, fig. 1. 
Raja Sayi, Lesueur, Journ. Acad. Nat. Hist. Philad., vol. 1, 
p. 42. Vide Gthr. 
Trygon vulgaris (= Pastenague commune ex Cuv.), Risso, Ear. 
Merid., tom. Ill, p. 160; Mor., Hist. Nat. Poiss. Fr., 
tom. I, p. 448. 
Trygou Akajei, Mull., Hle, 1. c., p. 165, tab. 53; Schl. in 
Sieb., Fna Japon., Pise., p. 308. Vide Gthr. 
The Sting-Ray, which is common in Southern 
Europe, is stated to attain rather considerable dimen- 
sions, at least a length of 2 l / a m. and a breadth of 
IV 2 m -) though the occurrence of so large specimens 
has not been authenticated in European waters. Bona- 
parte indeed speaks of Sting-Rays from the Mediter- 
ranean weighing 10 centners; but Risso says that their 
average weight in that sea is about 10—12 kilo., and 
according to Doderlein the largest Sting-Rays in the 
fish market of Palermo weigh 20 kilo, or more. Schle- 
gel states that the Japanese form ( Trygon Akajei ) 
attains a weight of several centners; and the dimen- 
sions given above are those of a specimen from the 
Cape of Good Hope, now in the Museum of Paris. 
It seems rather probable, however, that several 
species are included in the above list of synonyms. 
Our material is indeed scanty, consisting of two females, 
which we figure here, of about the same size; but even 
these show divergencies of form uncommon at least in 
the other Rays. The one, which was probably the type 
of Linnaeus’s Raja Pastinaca , has a less expanded disk, 
and apparently comes nearer to the American Trygon 
Sayi; the other, the only Swedish example of this spe- 
cies on record, corresponds more closely to Bonaparte’s 
and Day’s Trygon pastinaca. The most important dif- 
ferences are expressed in the following percentages: 
Specimen 
Specimen 
in the 
from the 
Lund Museum. 
Mus. Ad. Frid. 
Length of the disk in % of its breadth .. 
80 . 0 
88.6 
„ „ ,, head to the occiput . in % of the breadth of the disk 
30 . 0 
35.3 
■ • ,, „ „ first gill-opening „ 
27.5 
31.5 
Distance between the caudal spine and the root of the tail... . ,, „ „ „ „ ,, „ „ 
31.6 
37.2 
Length of the snout from the corners of the mouth in % of the length of the head to the occiput 
57.2 
63.4 
Distance between the nostrils in % of that between each of them and the tip of the snout 
75.6 
59.6 
According to Risso the Sting-Ray is a fish of noc- 
turnal habits, hiding itself as we have described above, 
and lying in wait for any prey that may approach; 
but at night-time it may be taken in gill-nets. When 
it attacks a fish, it flings its tail round the victim, 
which it then pierces and tears with its sting; and it 
defends itself in the same manner from the hand that 
would grasp it. Its food consists of fish, crustaceans, 
and mollusks. On the Sicilian coast, according to Do- 
derlein, it approaches land and is taken in numbers 
from the middle of December till the end of March, 
during which season it contains eggs of but little de- 
velopment. This is probably the breeding season, for 
the more isolated females caught in summer are more 
or less gravid. The young are born alive. 
From the Black Sea and the Mediterranean the 
true geographical range of the Sting-Ray extends along 
the Atlantic coast of Europe hardly further north than 
to England. Even there, as well as on the north-west 
coast of France, it is far from common; and to the 
north it becomes rarer and rarer. Now and then it is 
met with off the Scotch coast. Schonevelde knew it 
from Heligoland. Blocii received it from Hamburg. 
Kroyer heard fishermen speak of its occurrence off 
Hirsholm. Reinhardt received a specimen that had 
been taken in the autumn of 1862 off Frederikshavn. 
Schrader sent to the Museum of Copenhagen a speci- 
men that had been caught on June 10th, 1882, on the 
south side of the Skaw. From the fishing-village of 
Arild, at the foot of Mount Kullen in Scania, Baron 
Gyllenstjerna received, on the 24th of July, 1849, 
a specimen which is now preserved in the Museum of 
Lund. This example (fig. 313) has a disk 34 1 / 2 cm. 
broad and 27 1 / 2 cm. in length from the tip of the snout 
