CHAPTER II. 



EARLIER WORKS ON THE FISHES OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



The first notice of the fishes of the area covered by this report, which I have been 

 able to discover, is Van der Lott's " Kort Bericht von den C'ongeraal, ofte Drilvisch," 

 VcrhandL Holl. Maatsch., Harlem, 1762. Van der Lott was at the time a surgeon 

 on the Essequibo, who attributed so many "medical properties" to the electric 

 eel that he "acquired no increase in reputation therefrom in this colony," as Ban- 

 croft says. 



In his "An Essay on the Natural History of Guiana," London, 1769, Edward 

 Bancroft publishes a letter dated "Demerary, Aug. 15, 1766," in which he mentions 

 or describes (p. 188) the "Lowlow," the "Barroketa" (Arapaima?), (p. 189) "Peri" 

 (Serrasalmo?), (p. 190) "Saw-fish, Flounders, Brasilian Soles, Surinam Mackarel, 

 Drummers, Old-wifes, Mullets, and a species of Anchovies." 



He devotes several pages, 190-202, to the "torporific eel," attributing the 

 shock to electricity. This was several j^ears before Hoist (1772) demonstrated 

 that the peculiar power of the torpedo is due to electricity. 



Hillhouse in his "Indian Notices," a book which I have not seen, is said to 

 enumerate "twenty-six species as j^eculiar to the coast, estuaries, and rivers of 

 Guiana." 



Hancock in his "Notes on some species of Fishes and Reptiles from Demerara, 

 presented to the Zoological Society by John Hancock" (Zoological Journal, Vol. 

 IV, pp. 240-247, 1829; also I sis) describes: 



Doras costatus = Doras hancockii Cuv. & Val. 



Callichthys littoralis = Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock). 



Hypostomus watwata = Plecostomus watwata (Hancock). 



Hypostomus muUiradiatus = Pterygoplichthys muUiradiatus (Hancock). 

 Loricaria brunnea = Loricariichthys brunneus (Hancock). 



But the first real work in gathering fishes and knowledge concerning them 

 began with the explorations of Robert Hermann Schomburgk, conducted during 

 the years 1835-1839 under the auspices of the Royal Geographical Society and the 

 British Government. The explorations were continued by Robert Hermann 



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