11* 



n :i. 



ActmlkapltryyK, are distinguished by their baring the anterior port of 

 the doml, anal, and ventral fius furnished with simple piuou rays. 

 . iiuiTKRYuii.] The perches, mulleU, gurnards, mackerels, Ac., 

 belong to this order. In the second order, the Malocopterygii, all the 

 fin-rays are flexible, with the exception sometimes of the first ray of 

 the dorsal and pectoral fins. The three principal divisions of the 

 Malacofttrygii are founded either upon the position of certain fins or 

 their absence. In the first division, the Alxlominalei, the ventral fins 

 are situated far behind the pectorals ; as in the carp, tench, bream, 

 dace, roach, pike, salmon, Ac. In the second group, the Sttbbrackiala, 

 the ventral fin* are situated immediately beneath the pectorals (or 

 even a little before them) ; as we find them in the cod-fish, haddock, 

 and whiting. The flat fishes also belong to this group such as the 

 plaice, flounder, turbot, sole, Ac. To the third and last of these 

 greater divisions of the Malacopteryyii belong the eels, which have 

 received the name Apodtt, from their possessing no ventral fins. 



In illustration of the three orders into which the Cartilaginei are 

 divided, the Sturgeon will serve as an example of the first, or the 

 SteulJkeropomi. The Playiottomi contain the Sharks and Rays ; and' 

 the Lampreys and Myxines chiefly constitute the Cyclottomi. 



Mr. M'Leay, to whom Natural History is so largely indebted for 

 methods of classification, has given a new arrangement of fishes. 

 The basis of this method is the quinarion system. He bases his 

 classification on three generally admitted facts, which he holds to be 

 incontestable. The first is the near approach of fishes to Datrachian 

 Amphibia, which, with Swainson, ho considers to be made by means 

 of Lophiut and Maltht. 2nd. The near approach of fishes to the 

 Cetaceous Mammalia, the viviparous sharks constituting the con- 

 necting link. 3rd. "As the grand character of fishes as a class is 

 their being the most imperfect of Verttbrata, the most typical of 

 fishes ought therefore to be the most imperfect of them, namely, the 

 furthest removed from the type of Vertebrate;" a position which 

 many naturalists will be inclined to combat. He regards as examples 

 of such fishes the Cydottumi. Bearing the above ' fundamental facts ' 

 in mind, he constitutes the following primary divisions : 



Aberrant Group, Ctcndbranchii. Gills pectinated. 



1. Playiaitomi. Cartilaginous Fishes with fixed branchiae, lead- 



ing to Mammalia. 



2. Stariono. Cartilaginous Fishes with free branchiae. 



3. Otltnopttrygii. Bony Fishes with free branchiic, leading to 



Amphibia. 



Normal Group, Actenobranchii. Fish breathing with gills, not 

 pectinated. 



4. Lopkobranehii. Bony Fishes breathing by tufts arranged in 



pairs along the branchial arches. 



5. Cyclottomi. Cartilaginous Fishes breathing by a series of 



cells. 



Mr. M'Leay has not presented an analysis of the families and 

 genera included under the above five orders, with the exception of 

 those of the third, Oitinopterygii, a term by which he proposes to 

 denominate the osseous fishes having pectinated gills. The following 

 table of his subdivisions of this important order will convey to the 

 naturalist a clear idea of his system. 



Ottinopterygii. 



A. 



Aberrant Group, Acanthopterygii. Spines in the first dorsal fin 

 hard. 



Tribe 1 , Balittina. Maxillary bones soldered to the intermaxillaries, 

 and both to the palatine arch ; opercula and gills concealed beneath 

 the skin. Includes the families Balittidae, Ortraciontida, Cephalatpit, 

 Orthagoritcida, IHotlonlida. 



Tribe 2, Percina. Bone* of the jaws free and complete. Operculum 

 distinct. Operculum or pre-operculum generally with dentated edges, 

 or with spines. Includes Chatidontid<t, Percidtz. Sconxenida. C'iri-lii- 

 tidtr, SptZida. 



Tribe 3, PittiUarina. Bones of the jaws free and complete. Oper- 

 culum distinct. Operculum and pre-operoulum generally with smooth 

 edge*. Scombridte, Futularida, Oobioida, Lophiida, Labrida. 



B. 



Normal Group, Halacopterygii. Spines in the dorsal fins soft. 



Tribe 4, PUuroneclina. Ventral fins, when existing, inserted uixl r 

 the pectoral*, and directly suspended to the bones of the shoulder. 

 AxyuMtda, Kchtnddtc, Uydopltrida, Pleuroneclida, (Jadida. 



Tribe 5, Abdominalet. Ventrals suspended behind the pectorals, 

 and not attached to the bones of the shoulders. Silurida, CypriniJtr, 

 , Clupcidce, Salmonida:. 



Geographical Distribution of Fishes. Thiit branch of ichthyology 

 is beginning to attract the attention and research which the interest 

 of the subject demands. Within the last twenty yean the example of 

 Ynrrell has been followed in many countries, and valuable local mono- 

 graph* published, with excellent illustrations. In the north of 

 Europe, bnride* the writing* of Nil-m and Kckstrom, the fishes of 

 Denmark have been illustrated by Henrik Kroyer. Thono of Belgium 

 have been carefully examined by M. de Selys Longchamp*. In 

 that naturalist's 'Faune Beige' fifty-three fresh-water fishes and 



FISH. 820 



forty-one species inhabiting the tea are enumerated. Of the former, 

 forty-three live only in fresh-water ; six in fresh-water, but go to the 

 mouths of riven in winter; and four live in the sea, but migrate to the 

 rivers in spring or summer. Of the sea-fishes thirty pass up the Schelde 

 as far as Antwerp. The fresh-water fishes of Central Europe have 

 engaged the attention of Agassiz. Freyer has published an account of 

 those inhabiting Carniola, amounting to thirty two species. Italian 

 ichthyology has been admirably illustrated by Prince Charles Lucien 

 Bonaparte. In Asia the fishes of the Caspian have been described by 

 Eichwald in his 'Fauna Caspic-Caucasica, published in 1841. Those 

 inhabiting the rivers of Syria have been enumerated by Heckel (1843) 

 from the collections of Kotschy. Fifty-seven species inhabit the riven 

 U routes and Euphrates, of which no fewer than forty-five are Cyprin <>/". 

 Indian ichthyology has received valuable contributions from M'Cl. 1- 

 Und, whose papers have been chiefly published in the 'Calcutta 

 Journal' In Siebold's 'Fauna Japonic*' (1842) are accounts and 

 figures of Japanese fishes by Temminck and Schlegel. The most 

 valuable contribution ever made to our knowledge of the ichthyology 

 of Eastern Asia was communicated to the British Association at 

 Cambridge in 1845, in the form of a report on the ' Ichthyology of 

 China,' by 'Sir John Richardson. From his researches it would 

 appear that the fishes of that region are not only very numerous as 

 regards species, but also very valuable on account of the extensive 

 fisheries there carried on. His remarks on their distribution are 

 highly interesting. It would appear that chains of islands or coasts 

 having an east and west extension determine the extent of the range 

 of species and groups of species. For example, to take the inter- 

 tropical zone of the ocean, we find a great number of fishes common 

 to the Red Sea, the coasts of Madagascar, the Mauritius, the Indian 

 Ocean, the south of Chins, the Philippines, the Malay Archipelago, 

 the northern coast of Australia, and the whole extent of Polynesia, 

 including the Sandwich Islands. As regards the generic forms of the 

 fresh-water fishes, China agrees with the peninsula of India. Were 

 the vast zone in question, embracing more than two-thirds of the 

 circumference of the globe, to be suddenly elevated, we BUOU! 

 the remains of fishes similar everywhere throughout, the species which 

 have a local distribution being few and unimportant. This result of 

 Sir John Richardson's researches is of the highest importance when 

 brought to bear on geological considerations. Sir John Richardson 

 has also been engaged in the special investigation of the ichthyology 

 of Australia, and his many valuable memoirs on that subject may be 

 consulted in the ' Transactions of the Zoological Society,' and in the 

 ' Annals of Natural History.' In Dieffenbach's ' Travels in New 

 Zealand' (1843), the same indefatigable and philosophic zoologist has 

 published, in conjunction with Dr. Gray, a list of the fishes of New 

 Zealand. Ninety-two species are there enumerated. In Smith's 

 ' Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa,' figures and descriptions 

 are given of the fishes of the Cape of Good Hope. The researches of 

 Dr. Peters on the eastern coast of Africa, have made us acquainted 

 witn the ichthyology of that interesting region. With those of the 

 northern port of Western Africa we have had ample information in 

 the valuable memoirs of Lowe on the fishes of Madeira, (' Zoolo- 

 gical Transactions and Proceedings.') 



The labours of Jenyns on the fishes collected during Captain 

 Fitzroy's voyages have contributed materially to our knowledge of 

 the ichthyology of the southern extremity of South America, whilst 

 that of Guyana has been illustrated by Sir Robert Schomburgk, in 

 the ' Naturalists' Library.' De Kay's ' Zoology of New York' (1842) 

 has made us acquainted in detail with the fishes of the United States. 

 They amount, so for as known, to 440 species, distributed through 

 156 genera and 32 families. In the State of New York there are 

 126 Acanthopterygii, 115 Malacopteryyii, 3 Lophobranchii, 18 PUcto- 

 gnatki, 3 species of sturgeon, and 27 cartilaginous fishes. 



The distribution of fishes appears to be determined by the same 

 laws which regulate that of other aquatic animals. Climate, compo- 

 sition of the element in which they live (whether salt, brackish, or 

 fresh), and conformation of the sea or river bed, on which the depth 

 of water depends, are the great regulating influences. The great 

 distinctious of form and colour between fishes of tropical and those of 

 trmperato regions, evince the influence of climate; the fact of the 

 fisheries for certain species commonly used for food being invariably 

 conducted in deep water, whilst others can only be maintained among 

 shallows, shows the influence of depth; the fact pointed out liy Sir 

 John Richardson that the seas, by ranges of land or reefs extending 

 for great distances under the same climatat parallel, are peopled by 

 tile same species of fishes, is an instance of the action of the combined 

 influences of climate and depth. The distinctness as to genera and 

 species of the greater number of river and lake fish from those inha- 

 biting the Hca depends on the second of the three great influences 

 enumerated that of the composition of the element in which they 

 live. Urcat depths cut off the range of species even when climatal 

 conditions arc similar. Hence the fishes of the coast of the United 

 States are for the most part distinct from those on our own side of 

 the Atlantic. Some fishes have very limited ranges in depth com- 

 pared with others, and, generally speaking, it may be assumed that 

 those having the greatest vertical range (that is, range in depth) have 

 also the widest horizontal extension, n fact depending on the cup::ity 

 of such species for living under a greater variety of conditions. 



