fishes up to his own day.

Few writers in biology have accomplished such an array of completed productions in so brief a period of time; even Linnæus, the best-known naturalist the world has ever seen, never succeeded in overshadowing Ardeti, in so far as the science of fishes is concerned. However, Linnæus did accomplish one great task in this field; for, taking the correctly described species of fish by Artedi, he not only added other species to the list, but he applied correct binomial names to them. Moreover, Linnæus, in the twelfth edition of his System, gives us a classification of fishes which is a very thorough one, considering the time it appeared. This part of the wonderful achievements of Linnæus is too extensive to reproduce in a short article like the present one.

was

Almost immediately after the works of Artedi and Linnæus appeared-indeed, inspired by them-this branch of zoological science took on a truly marvelous forward movement, which manifested in the rapid appearance of many works on fishes from many pens of writers of very different nationalities. Omitting the feeble efforts of Klein and Gronow, both of whom were contemporaneous authors with Linnæus, we may name such writers as Thunberg; Brumnich (Mediterranean fishes); Kalm (American types); O. Fabricius (Greenland); Osbeck (Fishes of Japan and China); Forskal (Red Sea forms); Hasselquist (Palestine and Egyptian species), with a great many others, such as Duhamel, Pennant, Muller, Parra, Cornide, Neidinger, and others of less eminence. Next followed the great impress made on ichthyology by the writings and complications of such distinguished writers as M. E. Bloch (17231799), and Lacepede (1756-1826); while the morphological side of the science re

ceived the attention of numerous pens of authors skilled in comparative anatomy, wherein fishes were not neglected. For example, Hunter worked on the nerves; Camper and Haller took up other organs, but also paid some attention to piscine neurology. Munro produced a mass of excellent work on the general anatomy of fish, contrasting it with that of our own species. Electrical fish were studied by Allamand, Walsh, Reaumur, Bancroft and others. Even as early at 1764, Fleditsch both understood and practiced the artificial rearing of salmon and trout; and just previous to this time a great number of brochures appeared on what was being discussed under the general title of the mystery of the common eel.

Another enormous impulse was given the study of fishes when Baron Cuvier entered the field (1769-1832); this was at a time almost immediately after the writings of Lacepede and Bloch appeared. It will be remembered that G. Cuvier was the author of the great work, the Regne Animal, and his interest in ichthyology hinged upon his employing it in that famous treatise. A. Valenciennes was a pupil of Cuvier's, and in the year 1820 the former commenced his well-known work on the Hirtoire Naturalle des Poissons, the first volume of which was published eight years thereafter. Following Cuvier's death, Valenciennes continued the work, producing volume after volume, until the twentysecond one was out in 1848, which takes into consideration the salmon group of fishes or the Salmonidae. Notwithstanding its extent, this series of volumes is by no means complete. This does not mean, however, that the student of ichthyology can well dispense with it, for such is not the case.

In a brief article like the present one

it is quite out of the question to present the various classifications proposed by any of the above named ichthyologists, as that would occupy too much space. The readers of this short biographical history would gain nothing by it, for all of those classifications are, to a greater or less degree, now much modified by writers of modern times. The era between the years 1760 and 1860 was filled in by many writers in this field, the majority being, however, pre-Cuvierian ones. For example, we find the works of Patrick Russel, F. Hamilton, E. Donovan, A. Risso, and finally, in 1815, a work on the fishes of New York by S. L. Mitchell.

Although only seventy years elapsed between the days of Linnæus and Cuvier, the advances made in the science of ichthyology were simply enormous. These were principally along the lines of the knowledge the accurate knowledge-of the significance of taxonomic groups, based upon distribution in time and upon the morphological characters; upon anatomy and physiology of fishes, and upon many of the extinct forms.

In concluding this part, it may be said, in truth, that, notwithstanding the brilliancy of the light shed on scientific ichthyology by Artedi, who preceded Linnæus, and the glorious contributions to the subject by Bloch, Lacepede and Cuvier, who followed him, it must be admitted that the impetus given the study of fishes by the Systema of Linnæus must ever be regarded as the great central light of the middle period of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This being the case, we may well devote the illustrations of this part to the illustrious Swede, who accomplished much that redounds to the credit of biological science. For the two portraits I here present of Linnæus to the readers of AQUATIC LIFE I am indebted to the gen

SO

erosity of Col. C. C. McCulloch, Jr., of the Medical Corps of the Army, who is librarian of the Army Medical Museum of the Surgeon General's Office, and to Mr. Cary R. Sage, assistant librarian of that institution, who selected them for their present use. In this library there is a wonderful gallery of portraits, and these two of Carl Linne were selected from it, copies being made for me by Mr. Roy Reeve, the official photographer of the Museum. In Fig. I we have a portrait of Linne, somewhat past middle life, while in Fig. 2 he is considerably younger, or, as indicated in the legend, about 41 years of age. Historically, these portraits are of great value, and have not appeared anywhere in literature or biographical sketches for a great many years; they cannot fail of being appreciated by students of ichthyology in any part of the world where they may be

seen.

The aquarian should at all times use the scientific names of fishes in preference to a manufactured or common name; then there will be no mistaking the particular fish about which he may be talking.

A little fish from Africa, recently made known to science, bears the tonguetwisting name of Microstomatichthyoborus bashforddeani. Written in "long hand" the name is just about twice as long as the fish.

Most exotic fish fanciers endeavor to breed a greater number of species than their equipment can handle. The usual result is under-sized fish, due to crowding.

The waters are nature's storehouse, in which she locks up her wonders.Walton.

Entered as second-class matter, September 2. 1915, at the Post Office, Philadelphia, Pa., under Act of March 3, 1879.

Practical articles and notes on topics pertaining to the aquarium and terrarium are always wanted for AQUATIC LIFE. Readers of the magazine are invited to join in making it a medium of mutual help, and to contribute to it any ideas that may occur to them. The pages are always open for anyone who has anything helpful and practical to say. Manuscripts, books for review and general correspondence should be addressed to the editor.

AQUATIC LIFE has the largest circulation of any magazine in the world devoted to this branch of nature-study. It presents to advertisers a market that can be reached through no other medium. Rates made known on application.

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