34 



MEMOIR OF RONDELET. 



a species well known to all, most celebrated among 

 the ancients, which may be found at all seasons of 

 the year, and which is distinguished from others by 

 its brilliant golden colour, and then to proceed to 

 the consideration of others in many respects similar 

 to it, but differing by their proper marks. He is 

 unwilling that any one should suppose that he 

 placed the golden carp (Aurata) first because the 

 name commences with the letter A, for he reoards 

 alphabetical arrangement as not less objectionable 

 in regard to fishes than in the descriptions of plants, 

 in as much as it brings together many dissimilar 

 objects, and separates such as are allied.* 



From this it will be inferred that not much was 

 to be expected from our author in the arrangement 

 of his materials. Indeed there cannot be said to be 

 any attempt at systematic arrangement in his work, 

 the only approach to that, and it is a very distant 

 one, consisting in grouping together such species as 

 have a certain resemblance to each other in their 

 general forms. No families are defined, and no 

 genera characterised. Although in the title the 

 work is said to refer to marine fishes, it likewise 

 includes those frequenting fresh waters, there being, 

 according to Cuvier, 97 sea fishes and 147 fresh- 

 water species. In common with all the naturalists 

 of early date, Rondelet regards almost all animals 

 inhabiting the water as fishes ; and his work ac- 

 cordingly includes the cetacea, certain molluscs, 

 testacea, Crustacea, echinodcrmata, &c. His notions 

 * Page 113. 



