CUCKOO RAY. 
113 
each side of this middle space, and a great many smaller 
spines are scattered on the border. Some spines also near 
the border of the pectoral fins. The colour pale yellow, and 
on each side of the disk a well-marked spot of the size of 
a half-crown; the ground of which black, with defined bright 
yellow lines or patches. 
In another example 1 found even the fins on the tall 
covered with a roughness, arising from fine granular spines. 
The larger spines also were of a fine texture, with a tendency 
to radiation at their base. A. larger specimen, measuring a 
little more than three feet in length, and which was a female, 
resembled the above description in most of the particulars, 
but bore no mark of the beauty-spots on the disk; the tail 
also was less furnished with prickles on its sides; and, instead 
of a triangular bed of spines near the head, as in the others, 
there was one short line of spines, with a single spine on 
each side of it. Colour of the surface uniformly ash. 
The species here described makes a near approach to that 
which is represented in Mr. Yarrell s “History of British 
Fishes,” vol. ii, page 574, under the name of R. radula; but 
in some particulars the latter differs essentially, as we shall 
shew when we describe the true Sandy Ray of Cornish 
fishermen. But it makes even a nearer approach to the 
species known as the Shagreen Ray; and in the absence of 
the conspicuous spots on the disk, which, from our description 
of the large female example, appears to be sometimes the 
case, there appears to be no way of distinguishing between 
them, than by the textnre of the skin and form of the spines; 
the former being covered with an uniform blunt roughness, 
while in the latter the surface is studded with elevated sharp 
prickles. The spines on the tail also, are, in the Cuckoo 
Rav, longer and more slender. 
This fish is usually found in sheltered bays, and, although 
of rather small size, it is esteemed as food. The eggs are 
deposited in December, yet in July I have seen it with eggs, 
some of which seemed almost ready to be shed. 
VOL. I. 
