1'RKFACE. VII 



Valued aids in the solution of doubtful questions have been received 

 from Dr. Franz Steindachner of Vienna, Dr. Franz Hilgendorf of Berlin, 

 Dr. Christian F. Liitken of Copenhagen, Dr. Robert Collett of Chris- 

 tiania, and from Dr. Le"on Vaillant, M. F. Bocourt, and M. Alexandre 

 Thominot, in Paris. 



In our own country, we have especially to express our obligations for 

 favors received from Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, of the New York Aquarium; 

 from his brother, Mr. Barton A. Bean, and Mr. R. Edward Earll, of the 

 United States National Museum ; from Prof. Edward D. Cope, of Phila- 

 delphia, and Mr. Samuel Garman, of the Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology; Dr. Hugh M. Smith and Mr. William C. Kendall, of the United 

 States Fish Commission ; Dr. Stephen A. Forbes, of the University of 

 Illinois; Dr. Edwin J. Nolan, of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia, and Prof. Simon H. Gage, of Cornell University. To 

 the Hon. Marshall McDonald, United States Commissioner of Fish and 

 Fisheries, and Mr. Richard Rathbun, chief of the Division of Scientific 

 Inquiry of the United States Fish Commission, we are under especial 

 obligations for assistance in many ways. 



Our own students, present and past, especially Dr. Seth E. Meek, Dr. 

 Wilbur W. Thoburn, Mr. Edwin C. Starks, Dr. Frank Cramer, Dr. Carl 

 H. Eigenmann, Mr. Albert J. Woolman, Mr. Cloudsley Rutter, Mr. 

 Keinosuke Otaki, Mr. Thomas M. Williams, Mr. George B. Culver, Mr. 

 Norman B. Scofield, Miss Susie B. Bristol, Mrs. Flora Hartley Greene, 

 and others, have rendered aid of various kinds. Dr. Meek has devoted 

 a winter in Palo Alto to the preparation of the first draft of the account 

 of the Pomae-entridfp, Gadidte, Brotulidtp, and other families. Mr. Cramer 

 is the author of the account of the Scorp&nidw and Agonidfy and to Dr. 

 Thoburn we owe the outline of the Cottidm. Mr. Starks has spent much 

 time in the verification of descriptions. An especially important service 

 has been rendered by Prof. Walter Miller of the chair of Archaeology in 

 Leland Stanford Junior University, and Mr. William Barnum, Editor of 

 the United States Fish Commission publications, in reviewing and 

 correcting the etymology of names of the genera and species. Prof. 

 Augustus T. Murray, of the chair of Greek in the Leland Stanford Junior 

 University, has also contributed valuable suggestions. To Mr. George A. 

 Clark, President's Secretary of the Leland Stanford Junior University, 

 we owe many favors in connection with the preparation of manuscript. 



Under the head of each species, enough synonymy has been given to 

 connect this work with other descriptive works, and no more. Reference 



