A CUBAN FISHERMAN. 175 
comes from the study of more than one fauna, 
On the other hand, Professor Poey enjoyed the 
great advantage of having an almost exhaustless 
supply of material; for there are few ports where 
fishes are brought in in such quantities, or in such 
variety, as in the markets of Havana. 
It is the fashion in some quarters to decry the 
work of the describer of new forms. This is unjust 
as well as absurd. All honest study has its place; 
and till the pioneer work of exact determination of 
species is performed, there is little opportunity for 
‘fruitful work on the part of the embryologist or 
the anatomist. It is of little use to record the 
structure or the development of an animal, while 
the animal itself is unknown. 
The “ Memorias” were at once recognized as 
the most important work on the fishes of Cuba; 
and as was said long ago by Professor Cope, this 
work is a size gua non in the study of the ichthy- 
ology of tropical America. 
The nomenclature and grouping of the species 
in the ‘Conspectus Piscium Cubensium,” contained 
in the ‘“ Memorias,” was in 1862 the subject of a 
critical paper by Dr. Theodore Gill! This article, 
and subsequent ones by the same author, exerted 
much influence on Poey’s work. He was always 
ready to profit by the suggestions and advice of 
other writers, especially of those more favorably 
situated than he in regard to libraries and muse- 
ums; from Professor Gill's papers he gained clearer 
1 “ Remarks on the Genera and other Groups of Cuban Fishes,” 
Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 
1862, pp. 235 ef seg. 
