46 INTRODUCTION. 



brought to light by the many labourers who are now 

 so assiduously cultivating this as other departments 

 of Natural History. Any thing more than this is 

 unnecessary, after what has already appeared in the 

 other volumes of this Series ; the Introduction to 

 the first volume, consisting of a comprehensive sum- 

 mary of the nature and uses of fishes ; and the plan 

 of the second being formed with a view of present- 

 ing a more complete generalization of the same 

 interesting topics : any thing less, would have a 

 tendency to disappoint the hopes of those who, 

 unsatisfied with mere details, keep an eye upon 

 the general results to which these eventually lead. 



ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE LANCELOT. 



We commence with the recent discoveries which have 

 been made in the anatomical structure of the Lan- 

 celot ; and for which we are indebted to the ability 

 of Mr. Goodsir, late Conservator of the Museums 

 of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. 

 This singular animal had been known, indeed, since 

 the days of Pallas, who procured it from England, 

 and directed some share of his rare talent to its in- 

 vestigation ; it had also fallen under the notice of 

 Mr. Couch, the well-known Ichthyologist of Pol- 

 porro, and of Mr. Yarrell, so distinguished as a 

 British Naturalist ; as also of Professors Retzias 

 and Sandevall of Stockholm, and Professor Miiller 

 ^f Berlin, all of whom improved the opportunities, 

 -scanty from the rarity of the animal, which they 



