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In the Basic List I used the names bestowed by Forster in 
preference to those of Bloch and Schneider, and, in doing so, 
generally followed authors who wrote on the subject, but, according 
to modern views, the latter names have priority, as they occur 
earlier on the page. 
The following extracts from Gill’s ‘“A Comparison of Anti- 
podal Faunas,’’? give the history of a number of the names of New 
Zealand Fishes, and are worthy of reproduction. 
‘“ The first glimpse of the piscine fauna of New Zealand is due to 
Dr. John Reinhold Forster, who accompanied the celebrated Capt. 
Cook(e) on his second voyage, and visited New Zealand in 1773 and 
again in 1774. Forster made full descriptions, and his son George 
drew sketches of many fishes observed by him and gave them 
scientific names, but his own work embodying these observations 
remained unpublished for nearly three-quarters of a century. 
Meanwhile, however, Forster’s manuscripts fell into the hands of 
Schneider, the editor and completer of Bloch’s ‘ Systema Ichthyo- 
logiz,’ and the new species of fishes were incorporated in the 
‘Systema’ generally with Forster’s own names, but in some 
cases, with new ones. 
‘“Forster’s new work (Descriptiones Animalium in Itinere ad 
Maris Australis Terras) was not published till 1844. 
“Tt is to be remarked that some of the species described by 
Forster have each received two names, Schneider, with the propen- 
sity common, in his time to change a name because it did not seem 
to be as good a one as could be given, substituting for Forster’s one 
of his own which suited him better. Nevertheless Foster’s, in 
every case but one, was also given. Forster’s names were therefore 
actually published at the same time as Schneider’s and in con- 
nection with his (Forster’s) own descriptions. Whose names then 
shall be adopted, Forster’s or Schneider’s ? 
“Cuvier and Valenciennes sometimes adopted Forster’s, and 
sometimes gave new ones. Richardson also generally adopted 
Forster’s names, deviating from this course only in four instances. 
Giinther generally accepted Forster’s names, but in one instance 
adopted Schneider’s, and for other species took later names. 
2 Gill, Mem. Nat. Acad. Sci. VI.,, 1893, p. 93. 
