274 Correspondence. 



hope you will rectify. I am sorry that I have not been able as yet to 

 get any Cyprinidce from our New Holland Rivers ; but I attribute it to my 

 own residence so far from any river, not to the absence of them. I am 

 promised by friends, who have better opportunities, the result of their 

 researches ; but / receive nothing, as they know not how to catch the 

 minute fish of the river. However I intend to try the Nepean River 

 myself when I go down there, which I soon propose to do. In the 

 mean time, my residence on the sea-side enables me to increase my col- 

 lection of marine genera, and if there be any you wish for, I shall 

 be most happy to send them. A thousand thanks for your kind me- 

 thod of beating up for insects to be sent me from India. I shall be 

 happy to pay any fair price for the collector's time and trouble. Tell 

 Dr. Cantor, that I depend on him to increase my collection of Annulose 

 Animals, and that I hope he will soon write me. Tell him also, that I 

 have got a marine Serpent of the genus Pelamys, caught in the mouth 

 of Port Jackson harbour, the only one our fishermen have ever seen. 

 If he wishes for it, it is at his service; for he knows infinitely more of 

 Serpents than I do, and my grand desire is, to increase my collection 



of Annulose Animals. 



****** 



****** 



But I could go on writing to you on these subjects ad infinitum, and 

 therefore I trust you will excuse any tediousness on the score, that my 

 thoughts have been directed into this channel by the perusal of your 

 Monograph. Pray remember me to Dr. Cantor, Dr. Griffith, Mr. Grant, 

 and all who concern themselves with the works of nature, believing me 

 always, My dear Sir, 



Your obliged and truly faithful, 



W. S. MACLEAY. 



12th October, 1840. 

 P. S. — As I have had no opportunity of forwarding the enclosed 

 letter, I sit down to make some observations on it that occur to me on 

 now reading it over some weeks after it has been written. 



I know not whether you will clearly understand my meaning in 

 making the Cyclostomi the most typical of fishes. Cuvier says that 

 " the Acanthopterygii form the type most perfected by nature;" and in 

 this I agree with him, namely, that their structure is most perfected ; 

 but the Acanthopterygii are not therefore the most typical of fishes, i. e. 

 of a class, the general character of which is to be the most imperfectly 



