160 Miscellaneous. 



both issues, apparently assuming that of 1775 to be a true An- 

 kiindigung. 



Cobies, 'Delicia) Cobresiana?,' p. 387 (1782), gives " Syst. 

 Verzeichniss .... 1770," but adds, " Anfjingfich kam es unter dem 

 Titel Ankiindigung eines systematischen Verzeichnisses [sic] .... 

 heraus." 



Prange, ' Verz. Schrift. Naturgesch.' p. 207, copies Cobres. 



The earliest review which 1 have seen of the issue entitled 

 ' Systcmatisehts Verzeichniss ' &c, is Erxleben's, in his ' Physikal- 

 ische Pibliothck,' iv. Stuck 2, pp. 190-207 (1777) ; but others soon 

 follow. In Denis's own work en 'Die Merkwiirdigkeiten der k. k. 

 garellischen ofientl. Biblioihek am Theresiano ' (Wien, Bernardi, 

 1780), of which the preface is dated 3rd Nov., 1778, we find 

 (pp. 16-32) a chronological list of works in the library which 

 appeared from 1747 to 1778. Under 1775 there is no mention of 

 the ' Ankiindung,' but under 1776 the Syst. Verz. is duly regis- 

 tered, with the comment " durch des ersten [i. e. SchiffermiillerVj 

 Beforderung zum Directorate des so genannten nordischen Colle- 

 giums in Linz ist die Fortsetzung dieses Werkes wenigstens auf 

 einige Jahre gchemmet worden." 



Mr. Durrant calls my attention to a possible further complication. 

 Engelmann, 514, and Hag en, ii. 122, quote the 1776 edition as 

 " Wien (Peck) " ; but all the copies which I have seen or which 

 are noticed in the early writers were published by Bernardi ; and 

 Dr. Taschenberg explains to me that the fact that Engelmann places 

 " Peck" in brackets indicates that that name will not be found on 

 the titlepage, but that " das ist entweder der Commissions verlag 

 oder der Eigentiimer der Eirma Bernardi " {in lift., 8 Mar., 1900). 



I have at present quite an open mind as to whether the date 1775 

 should be accepted for this work or not ; but in the meauwhile I 

 venture to make a practical suggestion that for " priority '"' rank it 

 should be placed after the other 1775 literature (Eabricius, Syst. 

 Ent. ; Naturforscher vi., vii., &c), but before that of 1776 (Sulzer, 

 Abgek. Geschichte ; Miiller, Zool. Dan. Prodr. ; Naturforscher viii. 

 &c.). I also gladly follow Mr. Sherborn's suggestion (in litt.), and 

 recommend that henceforth it be cited as " Schmett. Wien," as this 

 does not cause any confusion in the title. 



246 Richmond Road. N.E., 

 16th March, 1900. 



Abundance of the G-reater Siil-Smelt (Argentina silus, Ascan.) on the 

 Market of Boston, Lincolnshire. By G. A. Boulenger, E.R.S. 



The Natural History Museum has received, through the kindness 

 of Mr. W. H. Shrubsole, E.G.S., specimens of this rare fish, measur- 

 ing up to 14 inches, which had been sent to him by Mr. E. Kirne, 

 with the information that great numbers had been brought on the 

 25th June to Poston and sold in every direction. The only record 

 of the capture in English waters of this deep-sea fish well known 

 from the coast of Norway is of a quantity taken on the 15th June, 

 1898, off the south coast of Ireland (cf Holt, Journ. Mar. Piol. 

 Assoc, v. 1898, p. 341). Mr. Kime writes to me that these fish, 

 which excited great curiosity on the market, were caught in deep 

 water somewhere about the coast of Norway. 



