OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 319 



all, as far as possible, made exact sketches, in order after- 

 wards to identify the species in places where libraries or 

 Museums exist. So, by degrees, a considerable quantity of notes 

 and drawings have accumulated, and of these, after making a 

 critical selection, I intend to publish the more important. 



In order to satisfy all the demands of Systematic Zoology, I 

 requested my esteemed friend, the Hon. William Macleay, to take 

 in hand the systematic descriptions, as well as the entire editing 

 of the first section of the work, limiting myself, for my part, 

 in addition to the descriptions of the plates, to some anatomical 

 remarks. Since our respective points of view do not agree in 

 all cases, it is possible that considerable contradictions may 

 appear in the text. But the most faithful, and as far as possible, 

 objective representation of the observed facts seems to both of us 

 a sine qua non of scientific investigation, so I believe that the 

 colouring of particular parts of the text (provided on that 

 account with our respective signatures) due to subjective outlook, 

 does not run counter to the demands of a scientific co-partnership. 



As exact figures, in addition to their greater clearness, render 

 unnecessary long descriptions, I have always put great weight 

 upon them ; yet I must state, in accordance with truth, that I 

 can by no means declare myself satisfied with the accompanying 

 lithographic plates, and have, on that account, determined in 

 future to have all my sketches (those of the Catalogue of the 

 Plagiostomata included) reproduced by means of photo-litho- 

 graphy. 



There remains for me, in this case, therefore, no other resource 

 than to attempt to correct "verbally," in the explanation of the 

 plates, the most important inaccuracies of the drawings as com- 

 pared with nature. 



Besides, the Hon. William Macleay, to whom I am very much 

 indebted for the greater part of the material investigated, I must 

 also express my obligations to Mr. E. P. Ramsay, Curator of the 

 Australian Museum, who has obtained for me material of various 

 kinds for my neurological studies, and has also always allowed 

 me, in the most friendly manner, to make use of (to draw, photo- 

 graph, and measure) the collection under his care, which was 



