98 
BURTON SKATE. 
payment is defeated when the fish, instead of being caught by 
themselves, are purchased from foreign fishermen. The French 
Government has more than once sent a ship to England for 
the purpose of detecting the offenders. 
This is the largest of the British Rays. For, whilst its 
measurement is often equal to that of the largest Common 
Skate, its greater thickness causes it to be of heavier bulk. 
The snout protrudes considerably; and the borders of it pass 
backward in a slightly diverging form for three or four inches. 
The outline of the anterior border of the disk thus becomes 
more curved than in the generality of this family ; since an 
expansion takes place again nearly opposite the eyes, with a 
second contraction before it spreads out to the full extent of 
the pectoral fins. The widest portion is behind the centre. 
Mouth considerably removed from the snout, armed with stout 
sharp teeth; nostrils lobed. The eyes distant from the snout; 
spiracles large, and close behind the eyes. The tail depressed; 
having two fins near each other, and close to its end. Behind 
the eyes are stout spines; and at the border of the disk opposite 
the eyes a row of crooked spines, the points directed backward. 
A large longitudinal bed near the extremities of the pectorals ; 
three rows on the tail, that which runs along the middle passing 
to some distance up the back; none of them placed close to 
each other. On the under surface a row of crooked spines at 
the border a little before the mouth. On a female 1 only find 
the spines behind the eyes, and on the tail. Colour ash or 
grey, with faint spots above; below white. Its claspers are 
proportionally longer and stouter than in most of the British 
species of Skates or Rays. 
liibide vitsw of Juw't» of Tborubitek Buy. 
