256  Storer's Observations on the Fishes of Nova Scotia 
Boreali Americana,’ quoted from the above authorities; Sir 
John Richardson not having seen authentic specimens. 
* Again, in 1842, a two spined Stickleback was described 
and figured by Dr. De Kay in the ‘ Fauna of New York,’ pub- 
lished by that State; the author having found the fish ‘about 
New York and as far up as Albany, in the Hudson, where 
the water is fresh.’ 
« This, then, is the whole history of the so called two spined 
Stickleback. And we find in it two well nrarked and very 
different eras; the first of which comprised the last century 
and the beginning of this, when the necessity of accurate 
description was not felt among naturalists, so that we thence 
see animals merely recorded in Catalogues, and often even 
under their vulgar names. They passed from one Catalogue 
into another without reéxamination, nay, much more, without 
even comparison. Such is the case with Forster, Pennant, 
and Shaw. "There is no certainty, therefore, in documents of 
this class. 
“The second era is characterized by the naturalists who 
belong entirely to this century. They began to describe with 
more or less accuracy, and their writings are accordingly 
much more precise than those of their predecessors. And yet 
it is still somewhat difficult to decide upon the identity of 
many animals on account of the descriptions not being com- 
parative.. Recent specimens from authentic localities can 
alone enable us to understand them. Since Zoólogy is com- 
parative, we still meet with instances in all its branches where 
different species are described under the same name. 
“ Thus, after scrutinizing as far as it has been in my power 
the documents relating to the two spined Stickleback, 1 have 
come to the following conclusions : — 
“1, That the presence of two spines in front of the dorsal 
fin is not a specific character, 
“2. That the specimens brought by yourself from Labrador 
belong to the same species as Cuvier's G. biaculeatus, from 
Newfoundland | CR 
. 
& 
