8o The Life and Writings of 



nately, was unable to publish more than a synopsis of his ichthyo- 

 logical discoveries ; and his figures, being very slight, are often not 

 calculated to clear up those doubts which the brevity of his descrip 

 tions sometimes creates; nevertheless, to one who examines the 

 species on the spot, in a fresh state, there are few which may not 

 be identified. M. Cuvier often asserts that all M. Rafinesque s 

 species were described from preserved specimens, but this is an 

 error they were all taken from the life. We both used to frequent 

 the fish-markets, and we procured all our specimens there, or from 

 fishermen who were in our employ. I was frequently urgent with 

 my friend to preserve, at least, such as were the most remarkable 

 of his new genera, anticipating the incredulity that has since been 

 attached to them; but this advice, unfortunately, he never adopted. 

 The greater part of those which I examined, after being drawn and 

 described, were thrown away, or eaten ; a military life not being 

 suited to the formation of such collections ; but many of those 

 species met with near Palermo, were preserved in spirits and sent 

 to the British and Zoological Museums; few, however, of these are 

 now in existence. One cause, perhaps, of the errors of M. Cuvier 

 regarding the Mediterranean fishes, may be that he had only 

 examined preserved specimens, either distorted by stuffing, or 

 bleached and shrivelled by alcohol, so that it becomes often difficult 

 to recognise the most common species. If I have dwelt too long 

 on this subject, I hope the benevolent and candid reader will excuse 

 me; it has originated in my desire to do adequate, though tardy, 

 justice to one whose whole life has been devoted to science, and who 

 has been singularly unfortunate in his worldly concerns; who, 

 notwithstanding his eccentricities, has a kind and benevolent heart; 

 and whose labours have never been appreciated as I think they 

 deserve.&quot; 



It is with some marked degree of pleasure that, to 

 this favorable estimate of Swainson on the value of 



