43 



ible for we do not know. The only information we 

 have is, that he had nearly completed his work for Seba 

 when he met with his death. The Introduction contains 

 the following passage: — "That portion of the work dealing 

 with Fishes should prove the more welcome to students 

 of Fishes, as we have to thank Artedi, "celeberrimo 

 illi piscium Scrutatori", for them — though not for all. 

 That chief among ichthyologists had almost accomplished 

 the whole description of the collection of fishes in Seba's 

 Museum, when his life was brought to an untimely end". 

 The accuracy noticeable in the descriptions betrays the 

 hand of a past master in the art; we cannot but regret, 

 however, that his life was not spared long enough to 

 enable him to incorporate in his System the experience 

 which the labour with Seba's collections undoubtedly 

 afforded him. While studying them, he came across 

 new Genera and a number of Varieties, so that his know- 

 ledge of Fishes was materially increased; his limited 

 time did not, however, always allow of his giving to his 

 descriptions the due form, which he himself prescribed 

 in the rules he laid down in his "Ichthyologia". Nor 

 did he find opportunity to systematize Seba's fishes, 

 much less to draw any conclusions from them. Conse- 

 quently the value of this last work of Artedi's is con- 

 fined to his having correctly diagnosed certain fish-forms 

 and named some genera. Among the latter may be 

 noticed Anableps or the telescope fish, whose curious 

 visual apparatus was dissected and may be seen de- 

 picted in the work. 



The brief survey attempted in the preceding pages 

 of the scientific work accomplished by Peter Artedi in 

 the department of Zoology, and more especially in that 

 of Ichthyology, is now complete. From it the conclu- 

 sion may easily be drawn that zoological research was 

 directed by his instrumentality into new paths which 

 were destined to carry it forward to ever increasing 

 success and development. Artedi was the first to settle 

 definitely the notion of Genus in Zoology, to make clear 

 the distinction existing between Species and Variety, to 



