PREFACE 



The numerous writings of Dr. P. Bleeker are necessary to 

 everyone who studies fishes, not only of the indo-australian 

 Archipelago but also those of the great indo-pacific region. 

 No less than 500 of his writings are about fishes of the indo- 

 australian Archipelago, fishes from Japan, China, Australia, 

 New Zealand, British India, Guiana, Cape of Good Hope, 

 Surinam and Europe — whilst but few treat exclusively of 

 systematic problems of fishes and it is still rarer that they 

 contain biological or anatomical questions. 



The most important of his writings are the 432 articles about 

 the fish fauna of the indo-australian Archipelago, in which new 

 species are described. They also contain a critical study of the 

 known species and generally give an account of their distribution 

 among the islands of the Archipelago. The importance of these 

 writings for the study of the fish fauna of the indo-pacific 

 region is obvious and it is greatl}^ to be regretted that it is 

 exceedingly difficult to consult them, partly on account of 

 their having appeared in various periodicals, sometimes diflicult 

 to obtain, and partly on account of their character and the 

 way in which Bleeker chose to publish them. This is in a 

 way due to the circumstances in which they originated, which 

 will best be explained by a short sketch of Bleekcr's life, 

 derived from his autobiography '). 



1) Levensbeiicht van Pieter Bleeker door hemzelven. Jaarboek der Kon. 

 Akademie van Wetenscliappen 1877, Amsterdam 1878. Again published in 

 Naluurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlaudsch-Indic XL (serie 8, deel 1) Batavia 1881. 



