32 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



CHAPTER III. 



To Moses H. Perlev beloiiu's the honour of haviu^: 

 first pnbHshed a systematic and descriptive Hst of New 

 Brunswick fishes in a series of " Reports on the Sea and 

 River Fisheries of New Brunswick," Fredericton, 1852. 

 This list became the basis of all subsequent ones, not only 

 for the province, but for Nova Scotia as well. In this 

 the author verj' modestly claims not to be a professed 

 naturalist, but an observer of i^ature, and for this reason 

 begs indulgence at the hands of critics. A careful ex- 

 amination, however, of the little volume must convince 

 the reader that its author was a scholar of varied attain- 

 ments, a close and accurate observer of nature, careful 

 and cautious of statement, brief but Ku-id in narration. 

 A power of condensation and ability to seize the most 

 salient features of form, markings, structure, and habits 

 of fishes, render his descriptions exceedingly pleasing and 

 instructive. If he were not a "professed naturalist" it 

 was due entirely to his modesty ; for in the correctness 

 of his determinations and general stability of his list, is 

 found evidence of a high order of scientific knowledge. 

 That he included a few forms, now recognized as the 

 young, or seasonal, or other stages in the life of another 

 species, argues nothing. The general history of ichthy- 

 ology in America and elsewhere scarcely contains the 

 name of an author, however eminent, whose determina. 

 tions have not. in many cases, proved incorrect ; and it 

 bears additional testimony to our author's scientific acu- 

 men that he recognized the minute distinctions on which 

 these so-called species of Cuvier, Valenciennes, Storer, and 

 Delvay were founded ; for the}' were all regarded at 

 that time as specific forms. Moreover, some of these 

 he professes not to have seen, but admitted on Dr. 



