yi PREFACE. 



Besides this he has obtained for me a few of Jerdon's original type specimens, some of which I have had 

 fio-ured, also a good number of MS. notes, as well as Cantor's MS. opinions upon the sharks and rays. 

 It will be seen in the pages of my work that I have quoted largely most interesting details from 

 some of these ; and I hope before long to complete a coloured series of the Fishes of India, which 

 I could hardly accomplish in a satisfactory manner were it not for Sir W. Elliot's assistance. 



Hennj Sullivan Thomas, Esq.* Madras Civil Service, the author of a most able and exhaustive 

 report on " Pisciculture in South Canara,"t has given me very great assistance, not only in collecting 

 laro-e numbers of beautiful specimens from the fresh waters of Canara as well as from the sea, but 

 also in ascertaining a great deal respecting the habits of fish, their breeding, and what a lamentable 

 necessity exists for legislation with respect to the finny tribes. He has had a few excellent coloured 

 figures of some fresh-water fishes executed for me by native artists, and also sent me a collection of 

 the Fishes of the Shevaroys, some from Madras, and the first example of a trout bred in India in a 

 wild state. 



The late Dr. Ferdinand Stolicz'ka,X the able and energetic Natural History Secretary of the 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, assisted me both while collecting and also in obtaining specimens from 

 localities I did not visit. His first large collection of fish was made at Penang, and on his return 

 voyage by the Nicobars and Andamans: in the cold season of 1871 he obtained 18 species while on 

 a tour through Cutch (" Journ. Asi. Soc. of Beng.," 1872, pp. 258-2G0) : in 1873 he went as Naturalist 

 with the expedition to Yarkand; the collection of fish which he then made comprised 22 species, 

 out of which 9 were new (" Proc. Zool. Soc. of London," 1876, pp. 781-807). 



I have likewise to oSev my thanks to Br. J. Anderson, of the Imperial Museum at Calcutta, 

 for affording me every facility towards examining its most interesting Ichthyological collection, 

 as well as for obtaining and transmitting to me in this country some species I wished to dissect ; 

 also to Mr. J. Wood-Mason, of the same institution, who assisted me in my collections. Br. Buka 

 and Br. Govan kindly collected for me at Almorah and Darjeeling, Br. Wright in Nepal, 

 Major Puchle^ in Mysore, H. E. Watson, Esq. in Sind, and Col. SJa,den at Mandalay in Upper 

 Burma, while Capt. Neill and Br. Caldecott, of the 1st Central India Horse, sent me a small 

 collection of fishes from Agur. Br. Bidie gave me leave to freely examine the specimens in the 

 Government Central Museum at Madras, and likewise had a collection made for me during my 

 absence. Br. Keess, the Garrison Surgeon, kindly superintended the work of a native collector. 

 Irrespective of those enumerated there are many others who have assisted me with specimens or in 

 various other ways, to each and all of whom I beg to tender my acknowledgments. 



In Europe I have more especially to thank Professor Peters, Director of the Berlin Museum, 

 who not only most freely gave me access to the valuable contents of the magnificent collection 

 of fishes under his charge, but has also aided me in my difficulties aud assisted me with regard 

 to Bloch's type specimens. 



* Author of " The Rod in India," or hints how to obtain sport, with remarks on the Natural History of Fish, Otters, &c., 

 8vo., Mangalore, 1873, pp. 319. An excellent work for the use of the angler in India. 



t Printed by order of the Secretary of State for India, 1870, pp. 77. 



% Dr. Stoliczka was born in Moravia in 18.18. His earlier professional career was passed in tlie Imperial Geological 

 Institute of Austria, where he became greatlv distinguished by his palsontological work. In 1862 he accepted the appointment 

 of Pala-ontologist to the Geological Survey of India. He was selected as Katnrabst to accompany the Yarkand Mission. In 

 accepting this post he was made fully aw.are of the risk he was running, his health never having been completely restored after 

 an expedition he had undertaken some years previously to the higher regions of the Himalayas. tJn the return of the Mission 

 from Yarkaud he pcrislied, due to the extreme cold at the summit of the Karakorun Pass, June 19th, 1874. 



§ Author of a paper entitled " Fresh-water Fu-h. in and about Bangalore,'' folio, 18GS, pp. 12. 



