PREFACE. V 



Mr. Blyth, the able Curator of the Museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, gave several 

 interesting articles in their Proceedings on the Pishes of India: in 1858, remarks on some Pishes from 

 the Andamans, pp. 270-272 j Pishes from Pegu, Calcutta, and elsewhere, pp. 281-290; Pishes of Pegu, 

 1859, p. 297 ; The Cartilaginous Fishes of Lower Bengal, 1860, pp. 35-45 ; On some Fishes from 

 Port Blair, 1860, p. Ill ; On some Pishes of the Tenasserim Provinces and Lower Bengal, 1860, 

 pp. 138-174. He sent a number of fishes, personally collected, to Europe, and he informed me that he 

 entertained no doubt but that in the " collection of Fishes from Bengal, believed to contain many typical 

 specimens of Buchanan-Hamilton's work, presented by G. R. Waterhouse, Esq." to the British Museum,* 

 were some which had been sent by him to England. Having been permitted by Mr. Winter Jones 

 to examine the register, I find the majority of the generic names under which they were received as 

 Ailia, Amhassis, Amhlyopus, Apocryjotes, &c., were not invented until after Buchanan's death. 



Col. Tickell, of the Bengal Army, gave a paper on Asthenurus atrvpinnis to the " Journ. Asi. Soc. 

 of Bengal," 1865, p. 32, pi. i. He also sent large collections of fish to the Calcutta Museum, and has 

 left a MS. volume of beautiful drawings of fish with descriptions. 



Dr. Thomas Caverhill Jerdon, so well known as the author of the standard work on " The Birds 

 of India," 3 vols., and another on " The Mammals," 1 vol., devoted some time to Pishes. The first 

 part of his " Pishes of Southern India" was published in the " Madras Journal of Literature and 

 Science," vol. xv, 1849, p. 139 to 149, and contained descriptions of 22 species, 3 of which were stated 

 to be new. The second part was also in the same volume (p. 302 to 346) ; it contained descriptions 

 or references to 150 species, 55 of which were believed to be new. In 1851 he gave another paper 

 to the same journal, entitled " Ichthyological Gleanings in Madras," p. 128 to 151, it contained 

 references to 391 species obtained during a two years' residence in Madras. A considerable number at 

 that time were unknown to science, but he refrained from naming them, which has been subsequently 

 done by others. He had coloured figures made of large numbers, and presented some fine stuffed 

 specimens to the British Museum. 



Br. Gunther, of the British Museum, has considerably facilitated the study of fish by compiling a 

 " Catalogue of the Fishes in the Collection of the British Museum," eight volumes 8vo. 1859. to 1870, 

 published by order of the Trustees. The work is said to contain 6843 well established and 1682 

 doubtful species. The " Fishes of Zanzibar," published by the same author in conjunction with 

 Col. Playfair, must also be alluded to, as it supplies a list .of 500 fishes found along the East coast of 

 Africa. It contains 22 plates and 67 figures of fish, some of which are simple outlines. The specimens, 

 mostly dried skins, are in the British Museum. 



Br. Klunzinger has given two excellent papers upon the Fishes of the Eed Sea in " Verhandlungen 

 der k.k. zool-bot. Gesellschaft in Wien," 1870, pp. 669-834, and 1871, pp. 441-688. Some of his 

 specimens are in the British Museum. 



It is my pleasing duty to offer my best thanks to the many friends who have afforded me assistance 

 in order that I might complete this work in a satisfactory manner, and amongst my official superiors more 

 especially to General B. Strachey, p.e.S., and A. 0. Hume, Esq., C.B. Amongst those who have given me 

 help in the East, or furnished me with materials they have collected there, I must especially mention 

 Sir Walter Elliot, K.C.s.i., formerly of the Madras Civil Service, who most liberally placed at my 

 disposal the whole of his beautiful and accurate coloured illustrations of the Fishes of Madras and 

 Waltair which he had had executed by native artists from the fresh specimens. These comprise many 

 hundred species, each with its native name attached, as well as Jerdon's identifications, thus giving me 

 the key to the fishes recorded in " Ichthyological Gleanings in Madras" (M. J. L. and S., 1851). 



* British Museum Catalogue, iii, 1861, p. iv. 



