222 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Thus, a work like that which Dr. Giinther has now produced 
has long been a desideratum with zoologists. Its object, as 
defined by the author in his Preface, is “to give, in a concise form, 
an account of the principal facts relating to the structure, classi- 
fication, and life-history of fishes; to meet the requirements of 
those who are desirous of studying the elements of Ichthyology ; 
to serve as a work of reference to zoologists generally ; and finally 
to supply those who, like travellers, have frequent opportunities of 
observing fishes, with a ready means of obtaining information.” 
Dealing first with the history and literature of Ichthyology, 
Dr. Giinther passes in review the various naturalists of note who 
have written on the subject from the time of Aristotle down to 
the present day, and notices their principal works, and the system 
of classification proposed or adopted by each. The first chapter 
concludes with a useful catalogue of “‘ Voyages containing general 
accounts of zoological collections,” a list of Fish-faunas, and a list 
of works relating to the anatomy of Fishes. 
In the list of Fish-faunas we observe that, under the head of 
“Great Britain,” Dr. Giinther has quoted only three writers on 
British Ichthyology, namely, Parnell (author of a ‘Natural 
History of the Fishes of the Firth of Forth’), Yarrell, and Couch. 
We should have thought that he might also have added the names 
of Pennant, Fleming, and Jenyns, as systematic writers on British 
Fishes; while Thompson’s ‘ Fishes of Ireland,’ and the two volumes 
on British Fishes in Jardine’s ‘ Naturalists’ Library,’ seem to us 
also worthy to be included in a list of faunal publications relating 
to Great Britain. 
In Chapters II.—IV. we have a description of the external 
and internal structure of fishes, and succeeding chapters deal 
with their myology, neurology, and the various organs of sense, 
nutrition, respiration, circulation, and reproduction. 
The author’s remarks on the growth and variation of Fishes 
(Chap. XIII.) are very instructive. In young fishes, it seems, the 
eyes are constantly larger than in adult relatively to the size of 
the head; and again the head is large relatively to that of the 
body. Changes amounting to metamorphosis have been hitherto 
observed only in Petromyzon. One of the most extraordinary 
changes by which, during growth, the form and position of 
several important organs are effected, occurs in Flat-fishes 
(Pleuronectide). Their young are symmetrically formed, with a 
tions 
