PREFACE 



This volume is the first part of a systematic revision of the Flatfishes 

 (Heterosomata), and includes three out of the five recognised families — the PsettodidEe, 

 Bothidae. and Pleuronectidje. The families Soleidae and Cynoglossidae will form the 

 subject of the second and concluding volume. 



The work is based primarily on the rich collection of the British Museum (Natural 

 History). In addition, the author has been able to study a very large number of 

 specimens belonging to other museums, either by personal visits abroad, or by the 

 generous loans made by museums to the British Museum, and often allowed to extend 

 over a prolonged period. 



For these loans and similar courtesies, including the supplying of photographs 

 of, and notes on, specimens which could not be lent, the thanks of this Department 

 are due to the following institutions : Fishery Board for Scotland (Aberdeen) ; South 

 .Australian Museum (Adelaide) ; Zoologisch Museum (.Amsterdam) ; Laboratorium 

 voor het Onderzoek der Zee (Batavia) ; Bergens Museum (Bergen) ; Zoologisches 

 Museum der Universitat (Berlin) ; Institute di Zoologia, Universita (Bologna) ; 

 Queensland Museum (Brisbane) ; Indian Museum (Calcutta) ; Museum of Compara- 

 tive Zoology (Cambridge, Mass.) ; South African Museum (Cape Town) ; Canterbury 

 Museum (Christchurch, N.Z.) ; s'Rijk's Museum van Natuurlijke Historic (Leiden) ; 

 Zoological Museum of the Academy of Sciences (Leningrad) ; Department of Oceano- 

 graphy, University (Liverpool) ; Fishmongers' Company (London) ; Ministry of 

 .Agriculture and Fisheries (London and Lowestoft) : Zoologische Sammlung des 

 Bayerischen Staates (Munich) ; Science Society of China (Nanking) ; American 

 Museum of Natural History (New York) ; Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle 

 (Paris) : .Academy of Natural Sciences (Philadelphia) : Museu Nacional (Rio de 

 Janeiro) ; California .Academy of Sciences (San Francisco) ; Stanford University 

 (California) ; Wiirttemberg. Naturaliensammlung (Stuttgart) ; Australian Museum 

 (Sydney) ; Zoological Institute, Tokyo Imperial University (Tokyo) ; Natur- 

 historisches Museum (Vienna) ; LTnited States National Museum (Washington, D.C.) ; 

 Dominion Museum (Wellington, N.Z.). 



In addition to the help of the various officials of these institutions, the author 

 has received assistance in other ways from so many colleagues in nearly every country 

 of the world, that it is almost invidious to select for mention here the following names : 

 Professor L. F. de Beaufort (Amsterdam), Monsieur P. Chabanaud (Paris), Professor 

 C, L. Hubbs (.Michigan), Professor W. H. Longley (Baltimore), Mr. J. T. Nichols (New 

 York), Mr. .A. E. Parr (Yale), Dr. P. Schmidt (Leningrad), Dr. S. Tanaka (Tokyo). 



To Lieut. -Colonel W. P. C. Tenison, D.S.O., however, the indebtedness of the 

 author and of the Zoological Department calls for very special mention ; not only 

 for the care, skill and knowledge of fishes which he has brought to bear on the 

 preparation of the large number of text-figures, but also for the assistance which his 

 familiarity with the subject has enabled him to give to the author in the course of 

 his work. In addition. Colonel Tenison paid a visit to the United States specially 

 for the purpose of examining types of Flatfishes contained in the museums of 

 Washington, New York, and Cambridge, Mass. The sketches and notes which he 

 brought back from this visit have been of the greatest possible use to the author in 

 enabling him to refer to their proper positions a number of species which, without 

 re-examination, must have remained ob.scure. 



