EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION. XXX1X 
the last as an Indian word. Father Charlevoix (1744) was referring to 
the Canadian fishes of economical importance, and specified them in the 
following paragraph : 
“Les Poissons, qu’on y prend plus communément, sont le Bass, les 
Poissons dorés [Pike-perch], les Achigans [Black-bass] et surtout, les Mas- 
quenongez, espece de Brochets, qui ont la téte plus grosse que les nétres, 
et la bouche sous un museau acourtée, ce que leur donne une figure assez 
singuliére.” 
The officially recognized name of the species in Canada at the present 
time is Maskinonge, the rendition of the Algonkin name, itself derived from 
mas, great, and inonge, pike or pickerel. 
These lists might be extended almost indefinitely, but enough have been 
enumerated to give some idea of the manner in which our fishes have been 
named. The terms last given, names of color, station, and title or profes- 
sion, have mostly been frequently repeated. For example, King-fish has 
been used for at least eight different species or groups of species, and 
Angel-fish has been conferred on a number of fishes of different families 
(especially Chztodontids and Ephippiids), while Devil-fish has been scat- 
tered not only on true fishes, but also on Cuttlefishes and a Whale ! 
III. SCIENTIFIC NOMENCLATURE. 
It has been charged that the scientific names of fishes are often changed 
and variously applied, and that consequently the Latin nomenclature is 
uncertain, like the English. To some extent this charge is true, but the 
deviation from constancy and consistency results from different causes from 
those affecting the English nomenclature. 
Scientific nomenclature is generally regarded as commencing in 1758, 
the tenth edition of the Systema Natura of Linnzus being the starting- 
point. Then the species of animals known were few in number, and the 
system adopted largely artificial. The aim of Linnaeus was rather to assist 
in the determination of the names than to express the true relationship of 
the species. There was a decided movement during the rest of the Lin- 
ngean century and the early part of the last to incorporate into the system 
as many species as possible. The brief notices and indications of animals 
by travellers and ill-informed persons generally were deemed sufficient to 
serve as bases for scientific names introduced into various compilations. 
Several of the compilers who engaged in that work were insufficiently 
