1 1 o Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



Editorial Comments on the Hildebrand Manuscripts 



The following manuscripts by Dr. Hildebrand had not been worked on by him 

 for some years prior to his death in 1949. The Sears Foundation is therefore grateful 

 to Dr. George S. Myers for having undertaken the task of bringing some manuscripts 

 up-to-date in such ways as he thought necessary, and to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service for having made this possible through the kind offices of Dr. L.A. Walford. 

 Dr. Myer's work, which was both time-consuming and extensive, was confined prin- 

 cipally to the insertion of recently described genera and species, the rewriting of certain 

 keys, and research on the classification or nomenclature of certain genera (notably 

 Pristigaster and Ilishd) which required changes in the names originally used by Dr. 

 Hildebrand. Revisions that departed radically from what he believed Dr. Hildebrand 

 would have included have been inserted as initialed footnotes. 



Some years ago Dr. John Tee-Van, because of the pressure of administrative duties 

 at the New York Zoological Society, was no longer able to continue as Editor-in-Chief; 

 Dr. Bigelow was subsequently chosen by the Editorial Board as his successor. Upon 

 receipt of the Hildebrand manuscripts from Dr. Myers, Dr. Bigelow made extensive 

 revisions and additions in many of the accounts, mainly in the sections dealing with life 

 history. Thus Dr. Bigelow added much information to that originally contributed by 

 Dr. Hildebrand; his major revisions occur primarily in the sections dealing with the 

 Elopidae (p. 1 1 1), Albulidae (p. 132), and Clupeidae (p. 257). The taxonomy remains 

 essentially as it was written by Dr. Hildebrand or revised by Dr. Myers, excepting 

 minor changes for conformance with general format. The value of Dr. Bigelow's con- 

 tributions to the Hildebrand papers, and indeed to Part 3 in many other respects as 

 well, can be measured only by the usefulness of this volume to those who will have 

 occasion to refer to it. I have made such emendations as seemed desirable for publi- 

 cation. 



Explanations of Dr. Hildebrand's procedure of measuring and counting are given 

 on pages 154, 258, 343. Dr. Hildebrand's taxonomic accounts are as complete as the 

 material and original sources of information permitted. In most instances they are 

 based upon his study of extensive material available to him at the U. S. National 

 Museum and elsewhere, and perhaps equally important, upon his broad and exten- 

 sive knowledge acquired over the years from firsthand observations in both field and 

 laboratory. Whether one agrees or disagrees with his treatment of relationships and 

 such, there can be no question of the care and meticulousness of his basic work. — 



Y. H. Olsen. 



