42 
tent merely to study the outward appearance of the fish ; 
as the title tells us, he also dissected every specimen 
and he gives a full and exact account of the shape and 
position, etc. of the inner organs and parts. Hence GUN- 
THER, the renowned ichthyologist, might well say, in 
1880, of the contents of this section, "descriptions which 
even now are models of exactitude and method". 
From this part of his work, as from his depiction 
of "partes piscium" in his "Philosophia Ichthyologica", 
we can very plainly perceive that ARTEDI was exceedingly 
well versed in the Anatomy of Fishes, as is abundantly 
evident, for instance, from the exhaustive description 
he gives in that place of the system of blood-vessels in 
fishes, which for that time is quite marvellous. ARTEDI'S 
knowledge of that subject enabled him to demonstrate 
the anatomical differences found to exist in fishes when 
they are compared one with another, and to call atten- 
tion to the importance of that phenomenon for the 
scientist who is about to determine the classification of 
the fishes according to natural principles; in that re- 
spect ARTEDI may be looked upon as a harbinger of 
that method of investigation, which was to attain full 
maturity long afterwards under G. CUVIER, JOHANNES 
MULLER and others, the method namely of Comparative 
Anatomy. 
Beyond the important work above briefly reviewed, 
we only possess by ARTEDI'S hand some descriptions of 
fishes in the third volume of "Sebae Thesaurus", the 
large illustrated work giving a report upon the natural 
history collections of SEBA, the Dutch chemist. It con- 
tains 12 folio plates, some of them being double, with 
140 reproductions of fishes together with descriptions of 
them. Which, or how many, of these ARTEDI is respons- 
1 According to LINNAEUS' own note, there were only 6 fishes 
left undescribed. 
2 About ARTEDI'S "Philosophia Ichthyologica" GUNTHEB says, 
in his "Introduction to the Studj of Fishes" (p. 10): "in fact he 
establishes the method and principles which have subsequently guid- 
ed every systematic ichthyologist". 
