550 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



animals of Cuba was begun in 1851, in a series of papers entitled 

 "Memorias sobre la Historia Natural de la Isla de Cuba." These 

 papers were issued at intervals from 1851 to 1860, and together form 

 two octavo volumes of about 450 pages each. The first volume con- 

 tains chiefly descriptions of mollusks and insects. The second volume 

 is devoted mainly to the fishes. 



As is natural in the exj^loration of a new field, these volumes are 

 largely occupied with the description of new species. They give some 

 evidence of the disadvantages arising from solitary work, without the 

 aid of the association and criticism of others, and Avithout the broader 

 knowledge of the relations of groups which comes from the study of 

 more than one fauna. On the other hand, Professor Poey enjoyed the 

 great advantage of having an almost exhaustless supply of material, 

 for there are few ports where fishes are brought in in such quantities, 

 or in such profusion of variety, as in the markets of Havana. 



The " Memorias " were at once recognized as the most important 

 work on the fishes of Cuba, and, as was said long ago by Professor 

 Cope, this work is a sine qua non in the study of the ichthyology of 

 tropical America. 



The nomenclature and grouping of the species in the " Conspectus 

 Piscium Cubensium," contained in the " Memorias," was in 1862 the 

 subject of a critical paper by Dr. Theodore Gill.* This article, and sub- 

 sequent ones by the same author, exerted much influence on Poey's 

 work. He was always ready to profit by the suggestions and advice 

 of other writers, especially of those more favorably situated than he 

 in regard to libraries and museums, and from Professor Gill's papers 

 he drew clearer views of the relations of forms, and of the connection 

 of the Cuban fauna with that of other regions. On the other hand, 

 he was led to adopt, against his own judgment in many instances, that 

 minute subdivision of genera which has been a fashion in American 

 ichthyology, and which has been in some quarters a rej^roach to 

 American science. 



In 1868 the results of the revision of his classification were em- 

 bodied in a second catalogue of the Cuban fishes, entitled " Synopsis 

 Piscium Cubensium." This forms the concluding chapter of a series 

 of papers, entitled "Repertorio Fisico-natural de la Isla de Cuba," 

 which embody the results of a genei'al scientific survey of the island. 

 Of this survey Professor Poey was director. In 1875 the entire list 

 of species was again revised, and the third and best catalogue of Cuban 

 fishes was published under the title of "Enumeratio Piscium Cuben- 

 sium." Besides these larger works, many shorter papers by Poey 

 occur in the " Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences " of 

 Philadelphia, the " Annals of the New York Lyceum," and the " Anales 

 de la Sociedad de Historia Natural de Madrid." He is also the author 



* " Remarks on the Genera and other Groups of Cuban Fishes," " Proceedings of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences," Philadelphia, 1862, pp. 235, et seq. 



