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gether the fcientific names of upwards of one hundred different 

 fpecies of fifh, with diftind references to the authors by whom 

 they have been defcribed, and the plates in which they are re- 

 prefented ; fo that thofe who will take the pains may, by adual 

 comparifon, judge of the refemblance and propriety of denomi- 

 nation. But what is moft remarkable is, that thefe fifh are 

 defcribed, by the authors referred to, as the modern natives of 

 various feas, moft remote from each other ; and not of Europe 

 only, but of Afia, the Indian Ocean, the South Sea, Africa, North 

 and South America ; and in addition to thefe fome few of fweet 

 watei*. 



That 



fiflies to enable me to judge whether the cabinet fpecimens have been faithfully 

 denominated or not, nor having had time or leifure enough at Verona, though I 

 had underftood the fubjeil, to go through fuch an examination. I will not even 

 venture to anfwer whether fome tricks may not have been played by the (lone- 

 cutters who arrange thefe fpecimens : — Whether, for inftance, they may not, in 

 fome cafes, have contrived to fuit pieces of different fifh to each other in fuch a 

 manner as to form a whole that might correfpond with the plates in books of 

 natural hiilory. Such an idea has been fuggelled, perhaps founded on the well- 

 known dexterity of Italian workmen in fimilar fabrications ; but in the prefent 

 inftance, though I will not fay it is abfolutely impoflible, I really think it fo very 

 improbable as to dcferve little ferious attention. 



* Mr. Bozza, in a paper publifhed by him a few years ago, fpcaks of his col- 

 le<51;ion as follows : " In my cabinet, which contains upwards of fix hundred fifli 

 «' of different fizes, all extratled from Bolca, there are more than one hundred 

 " whofe kinds are known, which ditfer from each other in genus and fpecies, and 

 " ninny others hejidts to -which fimilar living ones have not yet been d'ftovered." In 

 another paffage he adds, " The firft decade of fiih publilhed by M. Brouffjnet has 

 « alcertained to us that many of thofe found at liolca are natives of the South 

 " Sea — of thefe I have four, which agree exadlly in form, in proportions and in 



" fins 



