OF FISHES IN GENERAE. '3 
were all that the afuduity of the ancient naturalifts 
had difcovered. 
During the decline and fall of the Roman empire, at- 
tention to ichthyology, as well as to every other part of 
literature, was entirely laid alide ; nor did the perni- 
cious effects of the Gothic invafions, allow it to be re- 
fumed, till the year 1524, when Paulus Jovias*, an 
Italian writer, gave an account of thofe fillies, that were 
known to the ancient Romans. After him, various local 
hiftorians appeared. Belonius and Rondeletius fucceeded 
each other in defcribing the fillies of the Mediterranean ; 
while Swinjield, Marcgrave, and Catejby, gave, fucceffive- 
ly, an account of the fillies of Silejia-, Brajil , and the Caro - 
Unas . 
While ichthyology was thus enriched by hiftorians of 
particular diftrifls, there were other naturalifts, who 
engaged in this fcience in a more general and fyftematic 
manner. The Honourable Francis Willoughby publilh- 
ed, in 1686, a hiftory of fifties, which is ftill deemed 
one of the moft valuable upon this fubjeri. He was af- 
terwards followed by Artedis and Linnxus , who carried 
the fcience to a greater degree of perfection, than it had 
ever hitherto attained. 
If we take into account the vail number of fifties, of 
which the very names have not yet found a place in the 
fyftems of naturalifts, we muft neceflarily conclude, that 
this part of fcience, is ftill in its infancy. Some very 
Skilful ichthyologifts afiert, that there are to be found in 
the different collections of fifties about London, fix hund- 
ied kinds not enumerated by Linnaeus \ and we may, 
perhaps, eafily admit, that there are yet, in the un- 
•athomable depths of the ocean, at leaft an equal num- 
A z ber, 
5 P? pifclbu! Romanis, 
