PREFACE. 



IN this Volume the Fresh-water Fishes of Europe are sys- 

 tematically described for the first time. Such an undertaking has 

 been rendered comparatively easy by the valuable special memoirs 

 which have been published upon the Fishes of the several Euro- 

 pean countries. 



The classification of Dr. Gunther has been generally followed ; 

 and, although we have often ventured to differ from this dis- 

 tinguished writer in minor matters, it would have been impossible 

 to have brought the Fishes of Europe into intelligible order without 

 the aid of his Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum. To 

 that great work readers may refer who would investigate the 

 nomenclature of the species described. 



For the Fishes of Great Britain and Ireland we have con- 

 sulted, among other works, Pennant's " British Zoology," Yarrell's 

 "British Fishes," Couch's " Fishes of the British Isles," Hough ton's 

 "British Fresh-water Fishes," Day's " British Fishes," and memoirs 

 in the various publications of the Linnsean and Zoological Societies. 

 Buckland's "Natural History of British Fishes," and his Fishery 

 Reports, have been frequently referred to, while among works of a 

 more special character we may mention Mr. St. John's " Tour in 

 Sutherlandshire," Mr. Eussel's work on the Salmon, and the 

 " Prose Halieutics " of the Eev. Dr. Badham. 



The method of description has been in general that used by 

 Heckel and Kner in their " Siisswasserfische der Ostreichischen 

 Monarchic," upon which we have moulded the descriptions of 

 external characters of the Fishes described. Among other German 

 authors we have been indebted only in a less degree to Von 

 Siebold's " Siisswasserfische von Mitteleuropa," and Gunther 's 

 " Fische des Neckars ; " the former invaluable for its critical dis- 

 crimination of species, the latter rich in anatomical observations. 

 Benecke's " Fische, Fischerei, und Fischzucht, in Ost- und West- 

 preussen," has also been consulted. 



