1)1* ()l).st'rvr(l fvi'ii hy tlit' carclt'ss iiiid iimttcntivo luokcr-oii ; 

 much more is it to be expected that the habits, imy, the sexes, 

 n^cs, niui distinct species of tish, which rarely j)resent them- 

 selves to the eyes even of thi- mo.st curious intpiirers, whicli 

 come and }:o unseen and unsuspected, whose mysteries of fjcne- 

 ration and ri'prodnction uri" all pi-rfornicd in a nicdiuiii the 

 least penetrabh* to thi' eyes of science, wIio>e chanj^es of size 

 and coh)ur, from infancy to maturity, pass uttcrh' bcvond our 

 ken, should have been inisconccivrd, misinterpreted, and 

 misdcseribcd. 



^Vitllin the last few years more has been done to elucidate 

 these mysteries, and to briu}; us to an accurate knowledge of 

 this iuterestin;; portion of the aninnd creation, tlian in nnmv 

 previous centuries; and althou},'h much yet remains, infinitelv 

 more, doubtless, thau has been done, still we have very reccntlv 

 attained much certain knowledj^c rcfjardinp; several of the most 

 interesting,' families ; we ha\e airived at results wliichj by simj)lc 

 deduction, show us how we may hope to arrive at more, haviu" 

 now obtained data wherefroni to advance and discover the 

 process by which to do so. 



The means by which thus much has been accomplished, may 

 be described briefly, as the takin;,' nothing; for granted, 

 assuminj? nothiuf; on hearsay beyond facts, and on investipiting 

 everything: carefully and painfully, not followiu}: t(M> readily 

 preconceived opinions, nor being nusled by mere external and 

 superficial resemblances, but being guided by comparison and 

 experiment, as founded in a great degree on anatomy and 

 osteology. 



In the examination and comjjarison of tishes, the clear 



d2 



