4 
OF FISHES IN GENERAL. 
ber, that have not come into the pofleffion of the curi- 
ous. 
It is remarkable, that there is no fyflem of ichthyology- 
in the Engli/h language. Goldfmith's plan did not ad- 
mit of any thing more, than a general Iketch of this fub- 
jeft. Accordingly, he has , not defcribed, perhaps, a 
twentieth part of thofe, that are already found in the 
lyftems of Artcdi or Limans. Pennant has, indeed, 
given a correct and elegant hiftory of the Britijlo fillies ; 
but thefe make only a fmall part of the inhabitants of 
the ocean. We dare not promife, in the narrow limits 
of the following work, to offer a complete fyllem to the 
public. All the genera, however, are included, and a 
few of the moft remarkable fpecies belonging to each, 
are feledled for a particular defeription. 
By the labours, however, of the different philofophers 
already mentioned, nearly five hundred kinds of fillies 
have been enumerated, and defcribed ; and, in appearance 
at leaf!, confiderable progrefs has been made in explain- 
ing their hiftory: But, unfortunately, the names and ex- 
ternal figure of many of tliefe are all that we know. 
Their food, migrations, manner of life, and every qua- 
lity that can render their hiftory interefting, ftill remain 
to be explored. While, therefore, we are guided prin- 
cipally by the arrangement of Linnaus, in giving the 
following account of fifties, we will fpare our readers 
the trouble of perufing the tedious catalogue, as often as 
it prefents nothing, but the dry detail of names. We 
fliall thus fecure outfelves an opportunity of enlarging 
more fully upon thoff particular fifties, whofe hiftory 
xnay appear moft authentic, curious, or ufeful. 
Arijlotle , that great father of naturalifts, firft fuggeft- 
cd the excellent arrangement of fifties, into the cetaceous , 
cartilaginous, 
