FISHES; 
BY 
G. T. LAY, Esq., and E. T . BENNETT, Esq., F. L. S., &c. 
Of the various departments of zoological science, that which relates to Fishes 
has been perhaps the most generally neglected. It would be misplaced to 
attempt here to explain the causes of this neglect, though we have to express 
our regret at one of its consequences, in the imperfect state of the notes made 
during the voyage by the naturalists who accompanied it — notes which in many 
cases are calculated to lead to conjecture alone. Among the numerous fishes 
observed were doubtless many new species, and probably several new forms ; 
and it would have been a gratifying task to have recorded these as so many 
positive additions to science. We could not, however, avoid entertaining fre- 
quent doubts, that species had been erroneously referred to genera of which 
they constituted no part ; and it was also observable, that in some cases the 
characters recorded were insufficient to determine the genus, and occasionally 
even the family, to which the species belonged. It was therefore feared, that 
by attempting to give to the imperfect descriptions placed in our hands a tech- 
nical form, and affixing to them names as of known and well-ascertained 
things, an injury might be done to science, rather than a benefit conferred upon 
it. On the other hand, it seemed just to the gentlemen who had observed 
