PREFACE. 



Dr. GiJNTHER observes, — " This volume contains the remaining por- 

 tions of Cuvier's Percoides and Scimioides, and nearly the whole of 

 his Squamipinnes, Cataphracti, and Scomheroides. The instances 

 where Cnvier has described one and the same fish under three or 

 more different names are numerous, especially m the last family ; 

 nevertheless the number of apparently well-characterized species has 

 been nearly doubled since his period, as we see from a comparison 

 of the result of this volume with the corresponding parts of the 

 ' Histoire NatureUe des Poissons ': — 



Total number of species in Cuv. & Val 769 



Total number of species in this volume 1135 



Species apparently weU characterized in Cuv. & Val 535 



Species apparently well characterized in this volimie .... 959 



" The plan adopted in the first volume has been adhered to. 



" Several important additions to the Collection have been made 

 since the publication of the fii'st volume, viz. : — 



" 1. The entire Collection of Fishes of the Museum of the East 

 India Company. 



" 2. A Collection of Fishes from Vancouver Island, made during 

 the voyage of H.M.S. Plumper. 



" 3. Several Collections of Fishes from the seas of Lisbon and 

 Madeira, presented by the Rev. R. T. Lowe. 



" 4. A Collection of Suabian Fishes, received from the Stuttgart 

 Museum. 



" 5. A Collection of Fishe s fi'om Ecuador, pm-chascd of Mr. Fra.scr. 



