206 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



CATALOGUE OF FISHES IX THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



A work of great importance to naturalists Las been com- 

 pleted in the publication of the eighth and last volume of the 

 catalogue of fishes in the British Museum, prepared by Dr. 

 Gunther, one of its assistants. Although nominally a cata- 

 logue of this particular collection, it is actually a complete 

 system of the fishes, and furnishes by far the most convenient 

 manual of general inquiry in this department of science, al- 

 though, of course, not superseding the still larger work of 

 Cuvier and Valenciennes. In summing up the amount of ma- 

 terial at his command during the preparation of the work, 

 Dr. Gunther remarks that he has had under his inspection in 

 the British Museum over 29,000 specimens, embracing a little 

 over 5000 species. Allowing about 1600 species as valid, not 

 at present contained in the Museum, and admitting the exist- 

 ence of others described but not known to him, he estimates 

 the total number of fishes at present described as about 9000. 

 In this connection we may, perhaps, be pardoned for remind- 

 ing our readers that, great as is the collection of fishes in the 

 British Museum (the largest in Europe), it is exceeded by fin- 

 by that in the magnificent Museum of Comparative Zoology, 

 of which Professor Agassiz is the honored director, and of 

 which (as well as of its head) all Americans are so justly 

 proud. The Thayer Expedition to Brazil alone furnished a 

 much larger number of specimens of fishes than has just been 

 enumerated, while by actual count less than one half the 

 Museum collection of fishes already arranged occupies over 

 15,000 jars, each containing from one to hundreds of speci- 

 mens. 12 A, March 2, 343. 



BRITISH MUSEUM FISHES. 



In the work by Dr. Gunther upon the fishes of the British 

 Museum, to which Ave have just alluded, reference is made 

 to the neglect in Great Britain of the opportunity of scien- 

 tific research furnished by the cruises of the British vessels of 

 war, and invidious comparisons are made between this line 

 of conduct by them on the one hand, and that of the German, 

 Russian, and United States governments on the other. Dur- 

 ing the early years of the present century very important 

 contributions were made to the British Museum by such par- 



