1901.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 327 



TYPES OF FISHES. 

 BY HENRY W. FOWLER. 



The history of the Academy's collection of fishes, like that of 

 others in possession of the Society, begins with contributions during 

 the early days of its existence. These contributions were at first 

 mainly small donations from members and others, the number 

 gradually increasing by additions from special regions. In 18(38 

 we find that owing to the then greatly increased size of this depart- 

 ment of ihe museum, a joint report of a Committee on herpetology 

 and ichthyology was printed. Exploration of different parts 

 of America then furnished the xVcademy with many of the most 

 valuable additions. Accessions were received from Dr. J. K. 

 Townseud, Prince Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Drs. W. 0. Ayres, 

 \V. S. W. Ruschenberger, Charles Hering, William A. Hammond, 

 Charles C. Abbott, J. H. Slack, H. C. Woo.l, W. II. Jones, 

 Messi's. Samuel Ashmead, P. Duchaillu, Samuel Powel, Rev. 

 Alden Grout, Prof. William M. Gabb, the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, Prof. E. D, Cope, and the United States Fish Commission. 

 Many other collections of greater or less size were also received, 

 but as tlie writer wishes to call attention to only a few of the more 

 important reference to them may be omitted. INIost of these have 

 been treated of fully or in part in the publications of the Academy 

 or other American journals. 



The collection of Prince C. L. Bonaparte was purchased and 

 presented by Dr. Thomas B. Wilson, who was also a generous con- 

 tributor to many other departments of the Academy. This collec- 

 tion, consisting for the most part of Italian fishes, contained all 

 the species figured and described in the Fauna Italiea, most of 

 which are still well preserved. The greater part of ihis collection 

 consisted of alcohohcs, though there were 177 examples of dried 

 skins. 



Mr. Ashmead' s collections were mostly local, like those of Dr. 

 Abbott, who published a number of his observations. Dr. Ayres 



