4 FISHES. 



from liis own observations the fishes of the Mosel) authors 

 enth^ely abandoned original research. And it was not until 

 about the middle of the sixteenth century that Ichthyology 

 made a new step in advance by the appearance of Belon, 

 Bondeht, and Salviani, who almost simultaneously published 

 their grand works, by which the idea of species was established 

 definitely and for all times. 



Belon. p. Belon travelled in the countries bordering on the 



eastern part of the Mediterranean, in the years 1547-50; he 

 collected rich stores of positive knowledge, which he deposited 

 in several works. The one most important for the progress 

 of Ichthyology is that entitled "De aquatihbus libri duo" 

 (Paris 1553 ; small 4to.) Belon knows about 110 fishes, of 

 which he gives rude, but generally recognisable, figures. In 

 his descriptions he pays regard to the classical as well as 

 vernacular nomenclature, and states the outward character- 

 istics, sometimes even the number of fin-rays, frequently also 

 the most conspicuous anatomical peculiarities. 



Although Belon but rarely gives definitions of the terms 

 used by him, it is generally not very difficult to ascertain the 

 limits which he intended to assign to each division of aquatic 

 animals. He very properly divides them into such as are 

 provided with blood, and into those without it : two divisions, 

 called in modern language Vertebrate and Invertebrate aquatic 

 animals. The former are classified by him according to sizes, 

 the further subdivisions being based on the structure of the 

 skeleton, mode of propagation, number of limbs, form of the 

 body, and on the physical character of the localities inhabited 

 by fishes. This classification is as follows : — 



I. The larger fishes or Cetaceans. 



A. Viviparous Cetaceans with bony skeletons ( - Cetacea). 

 £. A^iviparous Amphibians. 



