PREFACE. 



and comprehensive manner, and seemed to demand 

 particular attention. I have, therefore, thought it 

 right to give nominal lists of the Faunae, and the 

 other details of fact on which I have based my con- 

 clusions, although all the necessary materials may be 

 found in my " Catalogue of Fishes." 



A few references only to the numerous sources 

 which were consulted on the subjects of Chapters 1-12, 

 are inserted in the text ; more are not required by the 

 beginner; he is introduced to a merely elementary 

 account of facts well known to the advanced student. 



With regard to the illustrations, about twenty 

 have been prepared after originals published by 

 Cuvier, J. Miiller, Owen, Traquair, Dumeril, Cunning- 

 ham, Hasse, Poey, Siebold, and Gegenbaur. A similar 

 number, representing extinct fishes, have been taken, 

 with the kind permission of the author, from Owen's 

 " Palaeontology " My best thanks are due also to the 

 Committee of Publications of the Zoological Society, 

 and to the Editors of the " Annals and Magazine of 

 Natural History," and of the "Journal des Museum 

 Godeffroy," for the loan of woodcuts illustrating some 

 of my papers on South American fishes and on larval 

 forms. The remainder of the illustrations (about 

 three-fourths) are either original figures, or formed 

 part of the article on 'Ichthyology' in the former 

 edition of the "Encyclopaedia Britannica." 



London, 3d October 1880. 



