BT. || BOSTON 
ss X 
S" J OURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
ka o Ssl 5 AUGUST 1839. No. 3—4. 
f y ii — " 
a aa 
^. "a ART. : XIL.—A REPORT ON THE FISHES OF MASSACHU- 
EU ©, SETTS. B y D. HuuPHREYS SronER, M. D. 
T MIT ae s 
M eet INTRODUCTION. 
Wane the pages of our Fodral read only by the i imme- 
2 ^ te members of the Society, by whose patronage it is 
E , orted, I should consider it superfluous to preface the 
aa 
following Report with a single remark. Butas many, both 
cw home and abroad, take a lively interest in our publica- — - 
"a - iT tion, and rely with confidence upon the communications - 
v P . therein contained, I feel it a duty I owe myself, to state in 
i a few words, the circumstances under which my Report, 
|  .. Necessarily imperfect, has been written. 
In June, 1837, I received, with several other gentlemen, 
oan appointment as Commissioner to prosecute the Zoologi- - 
cal Survey of the State. So trifling were these tasks con- _ 
sidered,—so much was supposed to have been already 
i . done by the gentlemen who had furnished the previous 
e les, that the Commissioners were expected to per- 
M E respective duties in a single season. To prepare 
à T s catalogue of our Fishes in a single year, I felt was impos- 
is : sible, but, at the same xu was willing and ready to do 
Toa VOL. IIL.— NO. HI. 19 
CEN 2d 
3 Rp be: 
PET E 
E. 
> 
