Ob PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



88. Form oljlong-elliptical, the depth loss than 

 oue-third length ; profile slightly convex ; pec- 

 toral shoi't, 4^ in body ; sides with longitudinal 



dark streaks Canthakinus.* 



rr. Dorsal spines 13 (or 14) ; soft parts of dorsal 

 and anal scaly ; preorbital very narrow, its 

 width much less than diameter of eye ; pec- 

 toral long, as long as head, 3^ in body ; scales 

 very small ; color grayish, with narrow oblique 

 dark streaks iNORNATUS.t 



Indiana University, January 3, 1882. 



THE RAPS» PREPARATION OF XjAROE MlTOIiOOICAL. SPECIIflEIVJ^. 



By M. FEILIX PI.ATEAU, 

 Profisseur a V Unicersite de Gaud. 



(Read before the "Association Frangaise pour Favauccment des Sciences," Congres de 

 Reims, 1880. Seance du 13 Aout, 1-580.) 



[Translated by H. C. Yarrow, M. D., for the Smithsonian Institution, Washington.] 



The laboratory of comparative anatomy of the University of Gand is 

 of restricted dimensions. Its surionndiiigs, suffiicient for elementary 

 j)ractical teaching, are very modest, but, liappily, material for study is 

 not wanting, thanks, above all, to the administration of the Zoological 

 Garden of Antwerp, one of the richest of the continent, wliich gener- 

 ously donates to ns its losses and carries the obligation still farther in 

 sending to us the bodies of animals by express. It is thus that during 

 the academical years of 1870 and 1880 we have had at our disposal a 

 series of very rare monkeys, a kangaroo, a cheetah or hunting leopard, 

 a young American ostrich, the priucii)al viscera of an adult African 

 elephant, and other interesting specimens. 



With the assistance of a single helper I have been able to utilize all 

 these objects and rai)idly prepare, during the few hours which my other 

 duties leave me, a great nuinber of permanent anatomical preparations 

 to enrich our museum, which is already comparatively comx)lete.| Our 



* Pristlpoma cantharinum Jenyns, Zool. Voy. Beagle, Fishes, 49, 1842. Habitat: Guay- 

 inas {Lieut. Xichols) ; Galapagos Islands {Jenyns ; Gthr.). 



\ Microlepklotm inornatus Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila. 1862, 25C} =: Pristiimma 

 hrcv'qniine Steiud. Ichthyol. Notiz. viii, 1869, 10 = 1 Pristipoma votatuni Peters, Bei- 

 liu. Monatsber. 18d9, 706. Habitat: Cape San Lucas {Gill); Mazatlan {Steind.; 

 Petern). Not obtained by Mr. Gilbert. 



tThe collections at Gaud actnally contain more than 3,000 preparations belonging 

 properly to comparative anatomy, and more than 1,600 si:)ecimen8 are preserved in 

 alcohol. 



