September 1, 1881. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



87 



crTtalia." (la Arch, per la Zool., Anat, etc., iv , I860, pp. 

 47-187, with pi.) 



F. France.— Add to (1) Planchird, which includes only 

 the Fresh water fishes, the following (a work like Couch's), 

 which includes also the marine species. 



2. H. Ciernahei li BouUwt. — ,l Iifl8 Poissons \ Synonymic, 

 Description, MmuTB, Prai, Peche, Iconographie des especes 

 compesant plus particulierenient la Fauna Fratigaisc" 

 (Park 1S7G, 3 vols, 8vo.) 



G. Pyrenean Peninsula. — Insert. 



1. F. de Brito Oapello, — "Uatalogo des Peixes de Portu- 



fllque existam no Mnsen do Lisboa." (In Jorn. So. Math., 

 Kyg, e Nat. Lisboa, 1868,. etc.") 



2. F. SPdndaciiner. — " ichfhyologischer Berieht liber cine 

 UHch Bpanien und Portugal untermotumone Reise." (In 

 Sitzb. K, Akad Wias. Wien, 7. 53, 1SG5, et soq.) 



' - H. North America.— Add to (1) BtcJatrimn and (2) Bekay 

 the following more recent and important illustrated works, 

 viz.: 



\ 4. J. Kirtlaml.—" Descriptions of the Fishes of the Ohio 

 River and its Tributaries." (In Journ. Boston Soe. Nat, 

 Hist, v., 8 5.) 



5. C, Gimrd.— "Fishes," (Washington, 1858, 4to. In 

 "Explorations and Surveys for a Railroad Route from the 

 Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean," v. 10 ) 



G. J. li. Bblhroak. — " Ichthyology of South Carolina." 

 Charleston, 1860, 4to.) 



7. B. B. Store?.— "A History of the Fishes of Massachu- 

 setts." (Boston, 1867, 4t,o.) 



1. Japan.— Add to (I) Schlegel. 



2. P. Bleefrer. — " Nieuwe Nolezingen op de Ichthyologie 

 von Japan." ( Batavia, 1854, 4to, 132 pp., 8 pi. In Ver 

 bandl Bataav. Geuools Ivurst in Wet., v. 25. 



3. P. Meeker. — "Enumeration des especes de Poissons 

 actuellernent conuues du Japan," |ete.] (In Veih. Akad. 

 Wet., Amsterdam, v. 18, 1879.) 



I J. East Indies.— Add to Hamilton, Buchanan, McClel- 

 land, Day, etc., the following, containing descriptions of all 

 the species and including groups : 



F. Day.— "Report on the Fresh Water Fish and Fisheries 

 of India and Burmah." (Calcutta, 1873, 8vo., 2 pi., x., 118, 

 cecvii pp ) 



K. Africa.— Add to (1) Giinther and (2) Peters the fol- 

 lowing," all of which are much more noteworthy than the un- 

 important chapter of Giinther in Petherick's work, viz : 



1. Sir A. BmitJi. — " Illustrations of the Zoology of South 

 Africa." Illustrated. (Load., 4to.) 



MB . B. T. .tow.— ''The Fishes of Madeira." (Bond., 1848, 

 8vo.) 



3 A. Burnetii.—" Reptiles ct Poissons de 1'Afrique Occi- 

 dentale." (In N. Arch. Mus. d'llist. Nat., v., 10.) 



4. P. Jikeker.— "Poissons de la cote de Guinee." (In 

 Mem. Soc. Holl., Harlem, 1802-63.) 



5. F. 8teindaolaier.—"Zip Fisch Fauna des Senegal." 

 (In Bitzb. K. Akad. Wiss. (Wien) 1. abth., v. 60 et seq., 

 I860, etc.) 



6. P. BkeclcretF. Pollen.— " Poissons et, Pcches." (Ley- 

 den, 1875, 4to, in F. Pollen and Van Dam's " Riclierches 

 stir la Fauna de Madagascar.") 



7. G. Bambeck. — "Die Verbrcitung der Suss-und Brack- 

 Wasser-Fische in Africa." (In Jen. Zeitsch. Naturw., v., 13, 

 pp. 404-156, 1879.) 



8. B. Bleeker.— "Contribution a la faune ichthyologique 

 de l'ile .Maurice." (In Verh. k. Akad. Wet., Amsterdam, v. 

 18, 1879.) 



9. IB E. Sauvaqe.— "Etude eur la faune ichthyologique 

 de l'Ogooue." (In N. Arch. mus. d'Hist. Nat. (2), v. 3, 

 1880, pp. 5-56, pi. 1-3.) 



L. West Indies and Smith America. — Add to (1) Agasmz, 

 ■?2) Castclnau, (3) Guntlwr and (4) Yaillant et Boeourt the 

 following : 



5. A. ('hdchenol. — "Poissons." (In R. de la Sagra's His- 

 toire l'ile de Cuba, 1843.') Paris, 1855 8vo. and 4tb. 



6. J. von Tscliudi. — " Fauna Pervaua Icnthyologie." (St. 

 fallen, 1845, fol.) 



7. G. Cay, — " Historia Fisica y Politica de Chile, Zool., 

 t. 2," (Paris, 1847, text, 8vo., Atlas, fol.) 



8. F. Htdndachner. — "Die Susswasser-fVche des sudost- 

 lichen Braziliens." (In Sitzb. K. Akad. Wiss. Wien [pt. 1J, 

 V, 70, pp. 449 538, pi. 1-6, 1875 LP'- 31, V. 74, pp. 559-664, 

 pi. 1-13, 1876. 



9. F. Poey.— " Enunieratio Pisciuin Oubenshim." (Ma- 

 drid, 1875 76, 870., 1 p. 1., 224 pp., 9 pi.) 



I 10 G. B. Goode. — "Catalogue of the Fishes of the Ber- 

 mudas." (Washington, 1876, 8vo. Additional in 1877.) 



Almost equally noteworthy with SUindurhner's articles are 

 ] Lutkerts and Cope's contributions. 



• M. New Zealand [a.nd AuttircUw].— Add to (I) Hutton and 

 Hector's Fishes of New Zealand the following : 



2. F. SieindAichner.— - ZurF\scMivma von Port Jackson, 

 in Australien." (In Sitzb. K. Akad. Wiss. [Wien], Math. Nat. 

 :CL, 7. 53, 1. abth., pp. 424-480, 866: y, 56, t abth, pp. 

 320-335, 1867.) 



3. <?. Krefft.— "Australian Verebrata Fossil and Recent." 

 \ (Melbourne, 1871, 8vo. Enumerates 439 species of fishes.) 



4. F. de Gait Ina.u.— "Contribution t.o the Ichthyology of 

 Australia." (In Prov. Zool. and Accliru. Soc, Victoria, v. 



5. F. de CasMnau. — " Essay on the Ichthyology of Port 

 Jackson." i In Prov. Linn. Soc, N. S. Wales, v. 3, 1879, 

 pp. 847-401 j 



0. G. B. Klunzinger. — "Die v. Mullersche Sammhmg 

 Australischer Fieche in Stuttgart." (In Sitzb. K. Akad. 

 Wiss. [Wien], Math. Nat. CI., v. 80, 1 abth., pp. 325-430, pi. 

 1-9.) 



The second chapter is devoted to a " Topographical De- 

 scription of the External Parts of Fishes," and in almost 

 every paragraph there is some ambiguous or misleading 

 statement,. The graver errors which exist may be euu 

 merated and commented on in the order in which they 



"In the body of a fish four parts are distinguished— the 

 head, trunk, tail, and the J! us ; [I] the boundary between the 

 first and second being generally indicated by the yilLopening, 

 -»nd [2] that between the second and third by I he vent" (p. 35). 

 (1) Now, the boundary between the head and tiunk may, in 

 a certain sense, be said to be generally indicated by the gill- 

 opening, but when we consider that all the representatives 

 Of the sub-classes of Leptocardians, Cyclostomes, and Sela- 

 chians fail to have the parts so distinguished, and that even 

 Wiong the Teleosts the Pediculates and othersf orm exceptions, 



the statement is too broad even with the word "generally" 

 introduced. (2) The statement that the boundary between 

 the trunk and tail is marked by the vent is unqualified ; 

 nevertheless there are a number of forms which furnish ex- 

 ceptions— e g., the North American Aphre doderids and Am- 

 blyopsids (the latter comprising the celebrated blind fishes) 

 aiid the South American electrical eel, and all the family of 

 Sternopygids. In the last, two the vent is just behind the 

 chin. 



"In fishes which are endowed -with the power of steady 

 and more or less rapid motion, a deviation from that form 

 of body which we observe in the perch, carp, or mackerel 

 is never excessive. The body forms a simple, equally- 

 formed wedge, compressed or slightly rounded, well fitted 

 for cleaving the water" (p. 35). The form most eminently 

 adapted for rapid progress in the water is exemplified in the 

 tunnies and bnnitos; their body is fusiform, littleeompressed, 

 and boldly rounded. The form of the carp is not, well 

 adapted for rapid progro-s, the fish being rather a slow 

 swimmer, and is also not; what; is generally known a-s wedge- 

 shaped. 



"In fishes which are m the habit of moving on the bottom, 

 the whole body, or at least the head, is vertically depressed 

 and flattened" (p. 35) In Anmiodytids or Sand Launces and 

 the Ophidiids, which are in the habit of "moving on the 

 bottom" and of burrowing in the sand, the body and head 

 sre much compressed, and there are many other exceptions to 

 lb.' u'enenilYztHiim in .jiieslinji— ,->. ,/,, the Weevers or 

 Trachinids and the "so-called Baud-fishes," as Gi'mther 

 designates them. Indeed only a page further on (p. 36) 

 Gi'mther says that the last,, as well as the eel, are " bottom-fish 

 [the idea of the bottom being thus especially connected 

 by a hyphen with the fish], capable of insinuating themselves 

 into narrow crevices and holes. The form of ihe body is 

 strongly compressed, as in the Band-fishes (Trichiurus, egal- 

 leem, etc.). It is chiefly the tail which is lengthened, but 

 frequently the head and trunk participate more or less in this 

 form" and are "sirongly compressed." 



" 'the mouth is formed by the intermaxillary and maxil- 

 lary bones, or by the intermaxillary only in the tipper jaw, 

 and bjrthc mandibulary bone in the lower " (p. 37). This 

 statement, is a remarkable one to emanate from a professional 

 ichthyologist and anatomist. Every tyro knows that the 

 Leptocardians and the Lampreys are entirely destitute of 

 anything like true jaw bones, and all the Selachians lack de- 

 veloped ' intermaxillary and maxillary bones,' and have Ihe 

 upper border of the mouth constituted by the palatine bones 

 (p. 69). 



"The jaws of some fishes are modified into a special 

 weapon of attack (sword-fish, saw-flsh); in fact, throughout 

 the whole class of fishes the jaws are the only organs specialised 

 for the purpose of attacking ; weapons on other parts of the 

 body are purely defensive " (p. 37). This paragraph caps the 

 climax of false statements and unscientific generalizations. 

 Ihe implication that the "weapons" of a sword-fish and 

 a saw-fish are both modifications of the jaws is tantamount 

 to the assertion that the jaws and nose are the same thing. 

 Dr. Gtinther himself has known this (see pp. 336, 337 of the 

 'Introduction'). There is possibility for difference of 

 opinion as to what are "organs specialised for the 

 purpose of attacking," but there is none that the 

 saw of the saw-fish is a prolongation of the snout, 

 and has nothing to do with the jaws, and none that "weap- 

 ons on other parts of the body are" not "purely defensive." 

 If it is conceded that any part or "orgau" which is efficient 

 for the capture of prey in active pursuit, or for active assault 

 on another animal, i&pro tanto SpecialiZ 1 d, there are several 

 parts besides the jaws which are subservient to those ends. 

 None of the sub-classes of Leptocardians or Cyclostomes hav- 

 ing jaws, and yet all preying, the parts concerned therein are 

 organs for attacking. (1) In ihe Leptocardians the fringed 

 margins of the mouth are concerned. (2) Li the Cyclos- 

 tomes the suctorial and deuiigerous oial disc and the tongue- 

 like organ are the agents. (3) In the sharks the palatines 

 bear the formidable armature. (4) In the saw-fishes of the 

 .-hark order (Pristiophorus), as well as of the Ray order ( Pris- 

 tis), the saw, admitted by Dr. Gtinther to he a special weap- 

 on of attack, is not formed at all by the jaws, but by the 

 rostral cartilage, and thus we have an exception to the 

 generalization specified in the same line in which it is formu- 

 lated. (5) br. Gi'mther himself, in his 'Introduction' (p. 

 322), informs us, under Alopecias, that "when feeding it 

 uses the long tail in splashing the surface of the water, while 

 it swims in gradually decreasing circles rotmd a shoal of 

 fishes, which are thus kept crowded together, falling an easy 

 prey to their enemy." And thus, even if we discredit the 

 use by Alopecias of its tail agauist the whale, etc., we must 

 consider is as to some extent a special weapon of attack. (6) 

 The Sting-Rays (Trygonids; scarcely confine the use of their 

 spines to defense, and these are at least offensive defensive. 

 (7) The Devil-fishes (Cephalopterids) are said to use the ce- 

 phalic fins tor seizing and grasping (see Elliott's 'Carolina 

 Sports,' p. 58.) (8) The Sticklebacks are well known to use 

 the dorsal spines as weapons of attack, and to swim under 

 and rip the belly of their antagonists. (9) The Surgeons, or 

 Acanthuri, are credited with using their lancet-bearing tails 

 by actively slashing therewith their antagonists, and it is dif- 

 ficult to surmise what would be the function of their charac- 

 teristic armature save as weapons of ofl'ence as well as de- 

 fense. (10) The Weevers (Trachini) use their opercular 

 spines at least for offensive-defensive purposes, and Col. 

 Montagu called them "offensive weapons." — It therefore fol- 

 lows that, so far 1'Toni the jaws "being the only organs spec- 

 ialised for the purpose of attacking," modifications therefor 

 exist in (1) the mouth as a whole ; (2) a peculiar tongue-like 

 organ ; (3) palatine bones : (4) snout ; (5) caudal tin ; (6) 

 supracaudal spines j (7) cephalic fins; (8) dorsal spines ; (9) 

 lateral caudal spines, and (10) opercular spines. 



"In Dipnoi and other Ganoids one [nostril] at least is 

 within the labial boundary of the mouth" (p. 88). One unfa- 

 miliar with ichthhology would infer from this paragraph that 

 one or more of several dilemmas existed, viz. : (I) that 

 some "Dipnoi and other ganoids" might have more than one 

 nostril " within the labial" boundary of the mouth ;" (2) that 

 other existing ganoids had one at least," or (3) that Ihe char- 

 acteristic was of too little importance to diagnose. It is 

 necessary, therefore, to be specific. (1) Dr. Gi'mther at one 

 time contended that iu the Dipnoi both nostrils were intra- 

 oral, and even in the ' Introduction ' (p. 355) asserts that they 

 are "more or less within the month." It is quite safe to say 

 that never has a fish been found in which there were two 

 (pairs of) nostrils within the mouth, and the existence of 

 both nostrils within the mouth would be an incredible anom- 

 aly. (2) No other existing Ganoid has even one nostril 

 "within the labial boundary of the mouth." (3) The devel- 

 opment of the nostrils in ihe Dipnoi is one of the most 

 weighty and suggestive characteristics of the group, and one 

 by which they contrast with all other living fishes. 



"In the post-orbital part of the head there' are distin- 

 guished, at least in most Teleosteous fishes and many Ga- 

 noids, the pmoperculum" (p. 38). Inasmuch as none of the 

 Leptocardians, Cyclostomes, or Selachians have a pneoper- 

 culum, and no normal Teleosteous fishes fail to have a prteo- 

 perculum, this statement is at least misleading, oven after al- 

 lowing full latitude to the vagueness of its phraseology. 



" The gill-opening is a foramen or a slit behind or below 

 the head" (p. 38). This statement is absolute, although we 

 ha7e a number of exceptions — notably all Pediculates and, as 

 the author himself afterwards admits (p. 39), the genus 

 Myxine. These, of course, have the gills behind the head 

 (not in front), but not immediately behind, as is evidently 

 meant. 



"Sometimes (Symbra/ushus) the two [gill] openings coa- 

 lesce and form what externally appears as a single opening 

 only " (p. 38). Byml/runchus is by no means the only form 

 in which the two openings coalesce into a single one. Am- 

 phipnoas, Monopterm and Ghilobranchus (each the type of a 

 peculiar family) all possessing the same characteristic. 

 " The margin of the gill-cover is provided with a cutaneous 

 fringe in order to more effectually close the gill-opening; and 

 this fringe is supported by one or several or many bony 

 rays, the branchiostegate " (p. 38). The statement • o abso- 

 lutely made is not true as to any of the representatives of 

 the sub-classes Leptocardians, Cyclostomes, or Selachians, 

 and, among living typical fishes, the Polypteroids and Dip- 

 noans are also destitute of true developed branchiostegals. 



"The space on the chest between the two rami of the 

 lower jaw and between the gill openings is called the isthmus" 

 (p. 39). The isthmus is defined as the interspace between 

 the branchial apertures below, and consequently has no de- 

 terminate relation to the rami of the lower jaw. 



"In Myxine only the gill opening is at a great distance 

 from the head " (p. 39). It is also" at a great distance from 

 the head among true fishes in the Pediculates, and some 

 eels. 



" The trunk gradually passes in all fishes into the tail " (p. 

 39 ). To this there are many exceptions, as in most rays, and 

 especially in the representatives of the families Trygonids, 

 Myliobatids and Cephalopterids, in which the tail is very at- 

 tenuated, whip like, and abruptly differentiated from the 

 trunk 



' ' The vent may be either close to the extremity of the tail 

 or to the foremost part of the trunk " (p. 39). From this 

 statement we would scarcely be prepared to learn that the 

 vent may also be situated below the head and as far forward 

 as the chin, near which position it is found in the Gymnotids 

 and Sternopygids. 



" In fishes in which they [the vertical fins] are least de- 

 veloped or most embryonic the vertical fin appears as a simple 

 fold of the skin surrounding the extremity of the tail" (p. 40). 

 fn FpigomeAthyQ "the dorsal fringe is distinctly higher and 

 rayed," and "the caudal fringe is absent" (p. 696). In 

 certain Ophisurids (Ophiehthys, etc.,) in which the dorsal and 

 anal fins are developed, " the extremity of the tail is free" 

 (p. 674), and in a number of other forms (Trichwrinee, Halo- 

 sauridx, Gymnarchi-dM, Sternojryginm, etc.,) in which the 

 dorsal or anal fins, or both, are developed the caudal fin is 

 likewise atrophied. (See pp. 486, 628, 665, 066.) 



"Many and systematically important differences are ob- 

 served in the dorsal fin, which is either spiny-rayed (spinous) 

 (AcantJwpteryrp:an), or soft-rayed (Malacsjpterygian)," p. 41. 

 These differences have been very much exaggerated as to 

 value, and a number of the forms regarded as Acanthoptery- 

 gian by Gtinther have the dorsal fin less "spiny-rayed" than 

 many forms called Mnlacopterygian by him. 



"In the Malacopterygio.n type, all the rays remain 

 joined ; indeed, sometimes the foremost ray, with its preced- 

 ing short supports, is likewise ossified, and a hard spine, but 

 the articulations can nearly always be distinctly traced" (p. 

 41). In the majority of the Malacopterygian type all the 

 rays do not remain jointed, for the foremost of both the dor- 

 sal and anal are inarticulate. Iu these foremost rays the ar- 

 ticulation can almost never be distinctly traced. 



The pectoral fins " are always inserted immediately be- 

 hind the gill opening " (p. 42). The pectoral fins are inserted 

 below the gill opening in many sharks, and in all the Rays 

 they extend far forward beyond them. Among the true 

 fishes, in the Pediculates, their bases are in advance of the 

 gill openings which are in their axils (p. 469). 



" The pectoral fins are either symmetrical, with a rounded 

 posterier margin, or asymmetrical, with the upper rays long- 

 est and strongest " (p. 42). In none of the fishes with pec- 

 torals having rounder! posterier margins can the pectoral fins 

 be said to be truly symmetrical ; those in which they are 

 most nearly symmetrical — Gastrosteids — the posterior margin 

 is nearly vertical or emarginatcd. The pectoral fins are per- 

 haps the most asymmetrical, in the sense used by Gi'mther, in 

 the Lepidopodinaj, in which they are " inserted" almost hori- 

 zontally with the lowest rays longest, and with the posterior 

 border emarginate" (p. 435). 



"The ventral fins are either behind the pectorals or below 

 them, or in advance of them " (p. 42). They would thus 

 apparently be reduced to three catagories or gradations be- 

 tween those, but in one family (Ophidiids) the ventral fins 

 are at the chin and, therefore, although they are certainly in 

 advauce of the pectorals, one would scarcely be prepared to 

 expect such a position from the phraseology used. 



"The ventral fins are generally narrow" (p. 42). This is 

 correct, although when we consider that all the representa- 

 tives of the sub-class of Selachians fail to possess the char- 

 acteristic a better expression would have been desirable. 



"For the definition of the smaller systematic groups and 

 the determination of species, the numbers of the spines and 

 rays are generally of the greatest importance. This holds 

 good, especially for the ventral rays, by the number of which 

 the Aeanthopterygian affinities of the fish can nearly always 

 be determined" (p. 43). Dr. Giinther placed the Gadoid 

 fishes Epicop-uJt(Merlucius), Ifypsiptera (young Gadoid), etc., 

 among the Acanthopterg'utus, and consequently has shown by 

 his own example the caution with which this character must 

 be viewed. 



"The numbers of the pectoral and caudal rays arc rarely 

 of any account" (p. 44). They a^e generally of quite as 

 much account as the dorsal and anal rays, and in the case of 

 the fully developed rays of the caudal, of more account — in 

 almost all cases of the highest systematic importance. 



"In some Gobioids (Periophi/uilmus), Tiigloids, Scorpw- 

 niods and Pedieulati the pectoral fins are perfect organs of 

 walking " (p. 45). It is certainly by the utmost stretch of 

 language that the pectoral fins in any of ihe Trigloids or 

 ScorpyTiuoids can be said to be organs of walking. "In fact, 

 they cannot in any logical sense of the word be Baid to have 

 that function at all. 



" Scales of fishes are very different from those of reptiles, 

 the latter being merely folds of the cutis, whilst the scaleB of 

 fishes are distinct, having elements developed and grooves 



