FISHES. CHONDROPTERIGIOUS. 70. Rala. 
Inhabits New Holland: about 40 Incl.es long; body jjale 
brown. Linn. Tranf. ii. 281. tab, 27. 
Snout with about 20 longer ibarp and fomewhat incurved 
fpines, the fhorter ones betwpen each 3 — -6 ; about the mid- 
dle of the faout, each lide, near die edge, a tte.^ible appen- 
dage, 31 inches long, relemblmg the beards of the cod-fiffi ; 
/piracies 4 ; mouth with 5 rows of minute, ibarp teeth ; tail 
. lanceolate. ' 
70. RAIA. Spiracles 5 each fide, oblique, 
^ * placed beneath near the neck : heal 
Imall, pointed, not diftinfl from the 
body ; mouth beneath, tranfverfe, 
toothed ; body broad, thin, flat. 
Ray. 
Thefe are inhabitants of the fea only keep at the bottom, and 
in winter cover themfelves with land or mud ; they feed on 
teflaceous animals, fiih, or any animal fubftances they meet 
with ; grow to a large fize, fometimes exceedmg 200 pounds 
weights the females are the larger, and produce their young 
dive, only one at a time, which like the diark tribe are m- 
clolbd in a quadrangular, black, horny flicU, the coiners of 
. which end in (lender incurved points, but not extendmg 
into long filaments like thole of the fliark ; eyes half cover- 
ed with a thin membrane, oblong, placed oathe upper part 
of the head; above thefe in the place of nopils is a broad 
fulcus or groove, divided by a reticulate membrane, confift- 
ing of crefted folds, and clofed with a valve ; behind this 
fulcus are 2 femilunar orifices ; tongue very broad, fiioit 
fmooth ; ventral fins covered with a thick (kin, and fur- 
rounding the body ; ventral at the bafe connefted with the. 
anal ; fiejh generally eatable ; ‘ liver Igrge and producing a 
great quantity of pure oil. 
A. Teeth fharp^ 
I 
Body entirely fmooth, flat. EULtrte R, 
Inhabits 
