208 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



Then followed in 1878 to 1883 nearly a hundred papers by Jordan and 

 Gilbert on systematic ichthyology, most of them concerning the fishes of the 

 Pacific Coast of the United States. 



In 1883 appeared the Synopsis of the Fishes of North America, by 

 Jordan and Gilbert, a great work of more than a thousand pages in Avhich 

 were described all the species of fishes then known from North American 

 waters. oMany original references to the fishes of Indiana are found in this 

 work. 



Most of Dr. Gilbert's ichthyological work has been e.xtra-limital so far 

 as Indiana is concerned, as has also that of Dr. Jordan. But much of the 

 actual study was done in Indiana. Among Dr. Gilbert's studies of the fish 

 fauna of Indiana may be mentioned his work on the fishes of the Switz City 

 SAvamp in Greene County and that on the fishes of White River. Of course, 

 both he and Dr. Jordan devoted much time to the fishes in the various streams 

 about Indianapolis. Dr. Gilbert's more recent papers have been among the 

 most important contributions to our knowledge of the fishes of the Pacific 

 and of the life history of the species of Pacific coast salmon. 



Joseph Sw.\in 



Doctor Swain (Pendleton, Ind., June 16, 1857 ), the distinguished 



president of Swarthmore College, was deeply interested in fishes in the 

 early 80's. With Dr. Jordan and various students he collected fishes in 

 the streams of Kentucky and Indiana. The subject of Swain's graduating 

 thesis at Indiana University in 1883, was "The Rainbow Darter." Besides 

 describing a new darter {Hadropterus scierus) from Bean Blos.som Creek, In- 

 diana, he, as junior author with Dr. Jordan, contributed some 15 papers to 

 the literature of .systematic ichthyology. 



Seth Eugene Meek 



The late Dr. Meek (Hicks\ille, O., April 1, 1859— Chicago, 111., July 6, 

 1914), was one of Dr. Jordan's most enthusiastic and energetic students. 

 He studied the fishes of the region about his home (Hicksville, Ohio) and those 

 in the vicinity of Chicago, the studies in each case extending across the line 

 into Indiana. He also collected e.xtensively in Iowa, Nebraska and Arkan- 

 sas, but his most important work was done on tlie fishes of Mexico, Central 

 America and the Canal Zone. Dr. ^leek contributed more than .")() papers 

 on fishes and reptiles. At the time of his death Dr. Meek was the best au- 

 thority on the fishes of Mexico and Central America. Dr. Meek and the 

 present writer began their contributions to ichthyological literature in 1883 in a 

 paper entitled "A review of the species of the genus Gerres," of which they 

 were joint authors. From that date until Dr. Meek's untimely death we 

 remained most intimately associated in scientific work. 



