1838, HOUSE—No. 72. 
pare all which are doubtful, with those with which they may be con- 
founded ;—I would never admit a single species into the State’s cata- 
logue, which could be at a future day disproved, or even doubted ;— 
preferring, that further investigation should add hundreds to the list, 
rather than that one should ever be erased from it. 
Trusting, that the reasons I have offered, may be considered suf- 
ficient for my catalogue not being prepared—and that another season 
will be allowed me to collect the needed materials, I would present 
the following general observations upon the subjects submitted to my 
attention. , 
No branch of Natural History has been more neglected in this 
country than Ichthyology—nor is this surprising. The beauty or 
facilities of acquiring the different species of Birds and Insects, and 
Shells, and Plants, and Minerals, have ever rendered them objects of 
study. While the disgusting appearance of several species ; the dif- 
ficulty of procuring many, and of preserving even our most common 
Fishes, have caused them to remain almost entirely unnoticed. When 
the importance of the subject, however, is considered—the univer- 
sal distribution of this class of animals is recalled—in some countries, 
being an important article of commerce ; in others, the principal sub- 
sistence of a great portion of the people—it deserves equally the at- 
tention of the scientific naturalist and enlightened economist. - 
Innumerable instances might be adduced to show, that immense 
sums had been in former times, expended for’ certain species, —that 
sea and land have been compassed to gratify depraved appetites, and 
pamper the insatiable epicure. ‘That a Prince should ever have been 
such a glutton as to have expended 300 rubles for a Sturgeon soup—or, 
a German Countess, so regardless of the necessities of those around her 
as to lavish the larger portion of her income in the purchase of Tur- 
bot’s liver—or, that a single Mullet, should ever have been consider- 
ed worth between 60 and 70 pounds sterling—that such, and many 
other similar examples of prodigality which might be adduced, serve 
only to point out instances of uncommon extravagance, and do not 
awaken the slightest interest with regard to the real utility of the sub- 
ject, is obvious. I shall, therefore,—avoiding all reference to what- 
ever is extraneous to my subject,—take a glance at those Fishes found 
