1909.] 
N. AnnandaIvE : Report on the Batoidei. 
13 
Back in the adult bearing several rows of regular, compressed bony tubercles, 
which also surround the anterior margin of the orbits. The ventral lobe of the 
tail almost equal to the dorsal lobe in the young, relatively smaller in the aüult. 
The posterior dorsal fin smaller than the anterior, which is situated over the pelvic 
fins. There are two conspicuous ridges on the posterior margin of the spiracle. 
The j aws have each a single undulation, which is not very deep. The teeth are 
large, suboval transversely, and bear a single transverse central ridge, which be- 
comes obsolete as they are worn , the breadth of each tooth is to the length as 5 to 3 
or 3 to 2 ; the teeth on the central concavity of the upper jaw are smaller than the 
others. 
In the young the back is of a rather pale greyish olive-green, which takes a bluish tinge 
on the eyelids. The lateral and caudal fins and the greater part of the snout are 
pink. On each side, near the centre of the base of the pectoral, there is a large 
round black spot, which is surrounded by much smaller white spots. Numerous 
similar white spots are scattered on the sides of the body and a few appear on the 
pectorals. In older specimens the olive-green becomes darker and greyer, the spots 
tend to disappear, although perhaps they never become quite obsolete, and the 
pink changes to grey. 
It is unnecessary to describe this common and well-known species at any great 
length. It is by far the most abundant species of its family in the catches of the 
“Golden Crown,“ whose trawl brings up numerous examples on every trip. The 
largest specimen I have seen measured 8 ft. 9 inches (258 cm.). It was a female with 
seven fully formed young ones in one oviduct, the other oviduct being empty and its 
corresponding ovary containing large eggs. 
The unborn young measured 34 cm. in length and bore yolk-sacs, which were 
smaller than those of some young ones captured free. In the case of the latter the 
yolk-sac was as big as a small orange. There does not appear to be any arrangement 
for supplying the unborn young with maternal nourishment in the case of this species. 
Day mentions that the young are very common off the Coromandel coast about 
March ; they are also abundant at the head of the Bay of Bengal in September 
and October. 
Rhinobatis halavi 
Rhinobatus halavi and Rh. obtusus, Gthr., op. cit., pp. 442, 443 ; Rh. halavi. Day, 
op- at., p. 43. 
I have not the material on which to base a fresh description of this species, as 
regards the synonymy of which I merely follow Day. No specimens have been taken 
by the Golden Crown ’ ’ and there are only dried or immature specimens in the 
Museum. A stuffed female measures 128 cm. in total length, and we have a much 
smaller one in .spirit, as well as several other skins. The .short, obtuse snout is charac- 
teristic. 
The teeth resemble those of Rh. grnmdatus but their tran.sver.se ridge is not .so 
strongly convex. 
