PREFACE. 



The arrangement of the Fish Gallery and. the preparation of 

 the coloured skins and casts which are there displayed, have 

 occupied a good deal of my time for the last four years. The 

 work of mounting and labelling have been done under my 

 supervision by Dr. Ridewqod; the preparation of coloured 

 skins and casts by the taxidermists and modellers employed for 

 the purpose. 



If large series of fishes are to be exhibited to the public, it 

 seems to be necessary that they should be carefully painted 

 over so as to give, as far as possible, the natural colours of 

 fresh specimens. This is an extremely difficult task and I have 

 no doubt that, in spite of the care which has been taken, 

 correction and revision will be needful hereafter, in regard to 

 some of the specimens. Many of the specimens have been 

 coloured from life and the rest from authoritative coloured 

 drawings either published or communicated for the purpose. 



The models of Deep-sea Fishes and of several extinct fishes 

 have been most carefully executed under my constant 

 supervision and are entirely new. The series of the species 

 of living Dipneusta (Prtoopterus and Lepidosiren) are ad- 

 mirable representations of those fishes. The specimens of 

 the Tunny, of the Flying Gurnards, and of the brilliantly 



