iv PREFACE. 



still greater import cannot be exactlj- determined at present, my 

 investigations on this point, although extending over the Osteological 

 Collection in the British Museum, which is making rapid progress 

 towards completeness, as well as over several other Collections, being 

 far from concluded. 



" The plan adopted in the preceding volumes has been main- 

 tained, except that, to save space, the specimens fi-om the same 

 locality are, in theii- enumeration, collected into one line. It has 

 thus been possible to give full descriptions of the new species, the 

 number of which amounts to more than twice that contained in the 

 previous volume. If we compare the result with the corresponding 

 parts of the ' Histoire Nat. des Poissons,' we find : — 



Total number of species in Cuv. & Val 600 



Total number of species in this volume 1168 



Species apparently well characterized in Cuv. & Yal 463 



Species apparently weU characterized in this volume .... 935 



" Moreover, full descriptions have been given of the species of 

 those famihes which had not been previously worked out. 



" The CoUectiou of the British Museum has received important 

 additions since the publication of the last volume; and I feel the 

 more plcasui'e in referring to them, as several have been given or 

 made to add to the completeness of this work : — 



"1. A Collection of Fishes from the Baltic, presented by Max, 

 Prince of Jfeuwied. 



" 2. A Collection of Fishes from the Sea of Madeii-a, presented by 

 J. Y. Johnson, Esq. 



"3. A Collection of Fishes from the Mediterranean and Red Sea, 

 presented by Dr. E. RiippeU. 



"4. A Collection of Fishes from the Coast of Mossambique, 

 and of Labroid Fishes, presented by Prof. Peters of the Berlin 

 Museum. 



" 5. Two Collections of Fishes from the Mediterranean and from 

 the Lower Nile, made by J. Petherick, Esq., H.M. Consul at 

 Char turn. 



"6. A Collection of Fishes from Bengal, believed to contain 

 many typical specimens of Buchanan Hamilton's work, presented by 

 G. R. Waterhousc, Esq. 



