An introduction to the study of fishes

by Albert C. L. G. Günther

II.—Faunae.

A. Great Britain.

1. R. Parnell, “The Natural History of the Fishes of the Firth of Forth.” (Edinb. 1838, 8vo.)

2. W. Yarrell, “A History of British Fishes.” (3d edit. Lond. 1859, 8vo.)

3. J. Couch, “A History of the Fishes of the British Islands.” (Lond. 1862–5, 8vo.)

B. Denmark and Scandinavia.

1. H. Kröyer, “Danmark’s Fiske.” (Kjöbnh. 1838–53, 8vo.)

2. S. Nilsson, “Skandinavisk Fauna.” (Vol. IV. Fiskarna. Lund. 1855, 8vo.)

3. Fries och Ekström, “Skandinavians Fiskar.” (Stockh. 1836, 4to, with excellent plates.)

C. Russia.

1. Nordmann, “Ichthyologie Pontique,” in “Voyage dans la Russie méridionale de Demidoff.” (Tom. iii. Paris, 1840, 8vo, atlas fol.)

D. Germany.

1. Heckel and Kner, “Die Süsswasser-fische der Oesterreichischen Monarchie.” (Leipz. 1858, 8vo.)

2. C. T. E. Siebold, “Die Süsswasser-fische von Mitteleuropa.” (Leipz. 1863, 8vo.)

E. Italy and Mediterranean.

1. Bonaparte, “Iconografia della Fauna Italica.” Tom. iii. Pesci. (Roma, 1832–41, fol.) (Incomplete.)

2. Costa, “Fauna del Regno di Napoli.” Pesci. (Napoli, 4to, about 1850.) (Incomplete.)

F. France.

1. E. Blanchard, “Les Poissons des eaux douces de la France.” (Paris, 1866, 8vo.)

G. Pyrenean Peninsula.

The freshwater Fish-fauna of Spain and Portugal was almost unknown, until F. Steindachner paid some visits to those countries for the purpose of exploring the principal rivers. His discoveries are described in several papers in the “Sitzungsberichte der Akademie zu Wien.” B. du Bocage and F. Capello contributed towards the knowledge of the marine fishes on the coast of Portugal. (“Jorn. Scienc. Acad. Lisb.”)

H. North America.

1. J. Richardson, “Fauna Boreali Americana.” Part III. Fishes. (Lond. 1836, 4to.) The species described in this work are nearly all from the British possessions in the North.

2. Dekay, “Zoology of New York.” Part IV. Fishes. (New York, 1842, 4to.)

3. “Reports of the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries.” (5 vols. Washingt. 1873–79, 8vo. In progress. Contains most valuable information.)

Besides these works, numerous descriptions of North American freshwater fishes have been published in the Reports of the various U. S. Government expeditions, and in North American scientific journals, by Storer, Baird, Girard, W. O. Ayres, Cope, Jordan, Brown Goode, etc.; but a good general, and especially critical, account of the fishes of the United States is still a desideratum.

I.—Japan.

1. “Fauna Japonica.” Poissons par H. Schlegel. (Lugd. Bat. 1850, fol.)

J.—East Indies; Tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

1. E. Rüppell, “Atlas zu der Reise im Nördlichen Afrika.” (Frankf. 1828, fol.)

2. E. Rüppell, “Neue Wirbelthiere. Fische.” (Frankf. 1837, fol.)

These two works form the standard works for the student of the Fishes of the Red Sea, and are distinguished by a rare conscientiousness and faithfulness of the descriptions and figures; so that there is no other part of the tropical seas, with the fishes of which we are so intimately acquainted, as with those of the Red Sea. But these works have a still wider range of usefulness, in as much as only a small proportion of the fishes is limited to that area, the majority being distributed over the Indian Ocean into Polynesia. Rüppel’s works were supplemented by the two first of the following works:—

3. R. L. Playfair and A. Günther, “The Fishes of Zanzibar.” (Lond. 1866, 4to); and

4. C. B. Klunzinger, “Synopsis der Fische des Rothen Meers.” (Wien. 1870–1, 8vo.)

5. T. Cantor, “Catalogue of Malayan Fishes.” (Calcutta, 1850, 8vo.)

6. F. Day, “The Fishes of India.” (Lond. 1875, 4to, in progress); contains an account of the freshwater and marine species, and is not yet complete.

7. A. Günther, “Die Fische der Südsee.” (Hamburg, 4to; from 1873, in progress.)

Unsurpassed in activity, as regards the exploration of the fish fauna of the East Indian Archipelago, is P. Bleeker, a surgeon in the service of the Dutch East Indian Government (born 1819, died 1878), who, from the year 1840, for nearly thirty years, amassed immense collections of the fishes of the various islands, and described them in extremely numerous papers, published chiefly in the Journals of the Batavian Society. When his descriptions and the arrangement of his materials evoked some criticism, it must be remembered that, at the time when he commenced his labours, and for many years afterwards, he stood alone, without the aid of a previously named collection on which to base his first researches, and without other works but that of Cuvier and Valenciennes. He had to create for himself a method of distinguishing species and of describing them; and afterwards it would have been difficult for him to abandon his original method and the principles by which he had been guided for so many years. His desire of giving a new name to every individual, to every small assemblage of species wherever practicable, or of changing an old name, detracts not a little from the satisfaction with which his works would be used otherwise. It is also surprising that a man with his anatomical knowledge and unusual facilities should have been satisfied with the merely external examination of the specimens. But none of his numerous articles contain anything relating to the anatomy, physiology, or habits of the fishes which came under his notice; hence his attempts at systematic arrangement are very far from indicating an advance in Ichthyology.

Soon after his return to Europe (1860) Bleeker commenced to collect the final results of his labours in a grand work, illustrated by coloured plates, “Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néerlandaises.” (Amsterd. fol. 1862); the publication of which was interrupted by the author’s death in 1878.

K.—Africa.

1. A. Günther, “The Fishes of the Nile” in Petherick’s “Travels in Central Africa.” (Lond. 1869, 8vo.)

2. W. Peters, “Naturwissenschaftliche Reise nach Mossambique. IV. Flussfische.” (Berl. 1868, 4to.)

L.—West Indies and South America.

1. L. Agassiz, “Selecta genera et species Piscium, quæ in itinere per Brasiliam, collegit J. B. de Spix.” (Monach. 1829, fol.)

2. F. de Castlenau, “Animaux nouveaux ou rares, recueillis pendant l’expedition dans les parties centrales de l’Amérique du Sud. Poissons.” (Paris, 1855, 4to.)

3. A. Günther, “An account of the Fishes of the States of Central America.” (In Trans. Zool. Soc. 1868.)

4. L. Vaillant and F. Bocourt, “Mission scientifique au Mexique et dans l’Amérique centrale. Poissons.” (Paris, 1874, 4to.) (In progress.)

F. Poey, the celebrated naturalist of Havannah, devoted many years of study to the Fishes of Cuba, His papers and memoirs are published partly in two periodicals, issued by himself, under the title of “Memorias sobre la Historia natural de la Isle de Cuba” (from 1851), and “Repertorio Fisico-natural de la Isla de Cuba” (from 1865), partly in North American scientific journals. And, finally, F. Steindachner has published many contributions, accompanied by excellent figures, to our knowledge of the Fishes of Central and South America.

M.—New Zealand.

1. F. W. Hutton and J. Hector, “Fishes of New Zealand.” (Wellingt. 1872, 8vo.)

N.—Arctic Regions.

1. G. Lütken, “A revised Catalogue of the Fishes of Greenland,” in “Manual of the Natural History, Geology, and Physics of Greenland.” (Lond. 1875, 8vo.) Although only a nominal list, this catalogue is useful, as it contains references to all the principal works in which Arctic fishes have been described. The fishes of Spitzbergen were examined by A. J. Malmgren (1865).