45 



skeleton of fishes, and of all those parts which may contribute to determine more 

 precisely the fossil species. In proposing a new classification of these animals, 

 the Professor will comparatively examine, under their zoological relations, all the 

 fossil species which have bsen described ; the genera to which they belong, and 

 the situation which they should occupy in the Ichthyological System : in fine, he 

 will seek to establish the relations of organization which exist between the 

 fossil fishes of all the geological formations, and those of the present epoch : and 

 exhibit the modifications which this study renders it necessary to introduce into the 

 methodical distribution of fishes. 



Each of the four succeeding volumes will contain the description of the fossil 

 species of one of the Orders of the Class. The second volume will comprehend 

 the Order of the Gano'ides ; the third, that of the Placo'ides ; the fourth, the 

 Cteno'ides ; and the fifth and last, the Cy chides, of the Professor's classification. 

 All the species will be delineated with great care, and in minute detail ; and be 

 accurately compared with the living species which most nearly resemble them ; 

 with their skeletons and scales ; and, in fact, with all the parts which may serve to 

 convey the most correct idea of them, and to establish most completely their gene- 

 ric and specific characters. 



Chapter I. includes " Notices of the Collections of Fossil Fishes which the 

 Professor has, himself, examined ; and of the materials which have been placed 

 at his disposal for the determination of the species." The long enumeration of 

 these Collections is terminated by an indication of those which it is necessary for 

 the student to visit, in order to acquire a general knowledge of the fossil fishes of 

 the different geological formations. An Appendix to this Chapter is occupied 

 by a " Notice of the Collections which the Professor has not seen" In the whole 

 of these, he calculates that a sufficient number of new species may be discovered 

 to increase, by at least one half, the catalogue of Fossil Fishes already known. 



Chapter II. is devoted to a " Notice of the works which contain documents 

 upon Fossil Fishes" Of the two Sections into which it is divided, the first, A. 

 comprehends " General Works, or particular Memoirs, which treat exclusively 

 of Fossil Fishes: and b. General Works, or particular Memoirs, geolo- 

 gical, zoological, or paleontological, containing Chapters, or scattered Notes," 

 on the same subject. The work of Columna, De Glossopetris Dissertatio, 4to., 

 Romae, 1616, stands at the head of this Catalogue. It is terminated by that of 

 the Spaniard, Torrubia, entitled, Aparato para la Historia Natural Espan- 

 nola, folio, 1754. 



The lithographic drawings, which accompany this Number, are executed in a 

 style of extraordinary neatness and elegance : and, if we may be allowed to judge 

 from the few instances in which we have yet had an opportunity of comparing the 

 figure with the original, the correctness is not surpassed by the beauty of the 

 execution. 



