PEEFACE. 



Twenty years having elapsed since the last editions of the elaborate 

 treatises on " British Fishes " by Yarrell and Couch were published, I 

 venture to offer to the public a new work on our fish-fauna, wherein I have 

 attempted to incorporate many of the discoveries of recent times. For 

 latterly investigations into our fish and fisheries have been pursued with 

 increased zeal, and many facts ascertained materially modifying some of the 

 conclusions formerly arrived at. My desire has been to produce a work 

 useful to the zoological student, fish-culturist, fisherman, and the general 

 public — all of who'nl are more or less interested in the fish-fauna of the. 

 British Isles, whether as regards their geographical, zoological, sporting, or 

 economic aspects. 



As the value of a work of this description is much increased by 

 illustrations, I have personally delineated every species from nature. Why 

 I was unable to retain the services of my professional artist the subjoined 

 letter from the Secretary to the Trustees of .the British Museum* will 

 explain. 



The number of zoologists who have made the fish-fauna of our isles 

 the subject for their special study is very considerable, as will be seen by 

 the following list. While in addition to those wTio are not specially alluded 

 to others have also done good service, either as compilers or investigators 

 into the habits or other subjects pertaining to one or more of our indigenous 

 species, recording their discoveries in articles sent to different scientific 

 publications or in the pages of weekly and other journals, and which, so 

 far as I have been able, I have referred to under the various species to 

 which such remarks pertain. 



In the year 1662, Sir Thomas Browne compiled a list of the Norfolk 

 fishes, on which he made several interesting observations ; in 1684, Sir 

 Bobert Sibbald, in " Scotise Prod. Nat. Hist.," describes the fishes of that 

 country. Willughly and Ray appear to "have been the joint authors of 

 '^Historia Piscium," published at Oxford in 1686; while in 1713 a 

 posthunious work by the latter, entitled " Synopsis Methodica Pisfcium,^' 



* "Dear Sie, — Having referred your letter of the 13th to Dr. Giinther, I learn from him that 

 as both you and he are engaged in preparing a, publication on British Fishes, he thinks it 

 inconvenient and against the interests of either work that the same artist should be employed on 

 both. He has, therefore, intimated to Mr. Mintern that if he is working cuts for you he will 

 engage another artist for himself. This is a matter which cannot be considered to concern the 

 Trustees.— Yours; &c.,Bd. A. Bond." {August 20th, 1880.) 



