a great many Journals, Voyages, and Reports, such a general syn- 

 opsis as is oftored in the present Catalogue will meet a real want 

 in Tththyolofiv. In coTitirmation of tliis, wo need only compare the 

 result of this vohinio with the number of species contained in the 

 corresponding parts of the ' Histoire Naturelle des Poissons' by 

 Cu\-iei- and Valenciennes, the last general ichthyological work. There 

 we find 777 species, 92 of which arc described twice or thrice 

 under different names* ; 154 of the remaining 685 species are very 

 doubtful, generally from insufficient description, and mostly esta- 

 blished by Cuvier himself. The present Catalogue contains 1177 

 species, 017 of which are considered as properly distinguished, the 

 remmnder being merely enumerated. Thus we have — 



Ti)tal number of species in Cuv. & Val 777 



Total number of species in this Catalogue 1177 



Species ai)parcntly well characterized in Cuv. & Val. ... 531 



Species apparently well characterized in this Catalogue . . 917 



" The Collection of the British Museum, together with its Library, 

 have enabled me to introduce original diagnoses of most of the species, 

 and to compile the synonpny and revise that stated by Cuvier, 

 tlius raising this work above the point of a mere compilation. The 

 Collection contains many typical specimens, as there have been em- 

 bodied into it, besides other minor collections, — 



'• 1 . The Collection of Gronov, purchased vnth his MS. descrip- 

 tions. 



" '2. Fishes of India, collected by General Hardwicke. 



" 3. The entire Collection of British Fishes, by Mr. William 

 Varrell. 



"4. The Collection of the Fishes of the Frith of Forth, and 

 Scottish liivci-s, by Dr. Parnell. 



" 5. The Collection of Chinese Fishes, made by Mr. John Reeve 

 and his son John RusseU Reeve, described by Sir John Richardson, 

 and the drawings of them taken from living or fresh specimens. 



* "Ctivier was ongelukkig in het sclieppen van nieuwe soortbepalingen. 



Zijn groot ichtli^yologisch work is vol van diibbele of meer voudige besohri jvingcn 

 ecner zelfde soort. die naar verschillen van zeer ondergescliikte waarde, afliankclijk 

 van geslacht, leeftijd en klimaat, als zoovele verscliillende species plaats namen." — 

 Bleeker, Nutuvrk. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind. i. 1851, p. 344. 



