OUTLINES OF ICHTHYOLOGY. iSi 



In conclusion, a few suggestions for enabling 

 the spoctsman more readily to identify his fish, and 

 for the treatment of any supposed new species or 

 varieties, may possibly not be altogether out of 

 place. First, then, upon the capture of any such 

 specimen, the best and simplest course is imme- 

 diately to preserve it in methylated (or common) 

 spirit of wine — or failing these, any other strong 

 spirit — when it can be examined and pronounced 

 upon at leisure. Dried or stuffed fish are compa- 

 ratively useless for scientific purposes. If, how- 

 ever, from any cause it should be found imprac- 

 ticable to preserve the specimen, the next best 

 thing is a correct description in writing ; and to 

 give this with sufficient accuracy to make it of value 

 to science — to render it, in short, such that a natu- 

 ralist shall be justified in pronouncing upon it with 

 reasonable certainty — all that is required is the 

 clear comprehension and record in an intelligible 

 form of a few simple facts. 



The first point to be noted is the nature of the 

 Fins — whether generally soft and flexible as in the 

 Salmon and Carp, or hard and spiny as in the 

 Perch : upon this it depends in which of the two 

 principal divisions of Bony Fishes the species 

 should be placed. This distinction is so obvious 

 and remarkable, that when once mentioned it 

 cannot be overlooked by the least careful ob- 

 server ; and as to one or the other of these divisions 

 belongs ever)' fish, without exception, of which the 



