MALACOPTERYGII ABDOMINALES. 43 



published, we perceive, as might have been antici- 

 pated, that this Order is about to undergo modifica- 

 tions, and, we may add, great improvements, upon 

 its exposition in the Regne Animal ; much greater 

 than those which have been effected upon the for- 

 mer subdivision. We need not express how great 

 has been our obligation to the authors of that ad- 

 mirable Work in the former portion of our own; 

 and deprived of this assistance, and retreating upon 

 the Regne Animal, and other resources, we expe- 

 rience a deficiency which nothing short of the 

 completion of that valuable Work can adequately 

 supply. The vast and splendid accumulation of 

 fishes now collected at the Jardin des Plantes, ar- 

 ranged by the genius and assiduity of Cuvier, and 

 now describing from his Notes by the indefatigable 

 labour of his pupil, Valenciennes, who seems to 

 have imbibed so much of the enthusiasm and taste 

 of his great master, at once warrants and vindicates 

 these remarks. M. Valenciennes commences the 

 exposition of the Order by the consideration of that 

 most interesting family the Siluridae ; but as only 

 one of its species is European, we deem it needless, 

 under the circumstances, to follow his example, and 

 therefore at once, with the Regne Animal, begin 

 with the Carp family. 



