Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-01-05
nli5feIIancous.
( IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY.

IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY!
The November number of the American Jour-
nal of Science and Arts contains an interesting
account, from the pen of Professor Louis Agas-
siz, of a discovery of new genus of fish, of
the perch description, made by Passed Midship-
man A. c. jackson, young officer in the
United States Navy. This gentleman, whose
early death, in March of the present year, has
already been announced in the Eucning Post,
was spoken of by Lieut.. Maury, with whom
he had long been associated at the National OBJ
scrvatory, in a letter to the President, in the
following terms I" THAT, in all the quail
tiles which adorn the man, and in all the traits
which ennoble the officer, he has left but few
supcriors in the navy"
In order to appreciate the nature and impor-
tance of Mr. Jaeksons discovery, it should be
understood that Professor Agassz, and all the
other great authorities in ichthyology, had pre-
viously considered the whale as the only vivipa-
rous fish, that is, the only fish which brings
forth its young alive. The other fish were
found to be oviparous, the females laying the
eggs, and the males afterwards going over and
impregnating, or giving life to the dcpositcs of
the females. This popularity in their mode of
reproduction had led, our readers may rcmcm-
Der, to the employment in France of the system
of physiculture, which consists in taking the
imprcgnated spawn from one stream, where it
was laid, to supply the deficiency in another.
In this way, rare species of fish may be pro-
duced beyond the limits in which they are in
digcnous.
On the 7th Of June, 1852, Mr.. jackson, who,
with three or four other officers, under Como
dore Shubrick, had been appointed to examine
the coast of California, with reference to find
ing suitable location for Il navy yard, caught,
in tlro bay of San Ssalita, twa Rshes7 -rnalo and
female, in the latter of which, to his surprise,
were found nineteen Hpe fishes, closely packed
: together, each of which were nearly one third
of the longh of its mother; the dimensions of
the mother being ten and a-half inches long,
and four and a-half high, and of one of the
young fishes about three inches long and one in
height. Each of the young, when taken from
its mother, was perfectly formed, lively, and as
much adapted to seek its livlihood in the water,
as if it had been accustomed to the element for
months They were enclosed, before BIRTH in
light violet bag, just under the back, within
the mother, so transparent that their color and
formation could easily be distinguished through
it. The mother was a remarkably vigorous
creature, of a dark brown color, approaching,
about the fins and back, to back-tho offspring,
of the same hue, yet several shades lighter. The
male fish was considerably smaller than the fe-
male.
Mr.. Jackson, soon after this discovery, sent
to Professor Agassiz minute description of the
fish with an outline drawing; bat finding it
impossible, in the locality where he was en-
gagged, to procure the requisite spirits, without
abandoning his official labors, he did not pre-
serve the specimens The first letter which Mr..
jackson wrote, was acknowledged by that emf
nent naturalist, who, in his reply, spoke as fol-
lows of the new discovery
" Had you been able to secure specimens of
both (male and female), science would now
be indebted to YOU for the knowledge of one Of
the most unexpected circumstances in the mode
of development Of fishes"
Shortly afterwards, Mr.. Jackson returned
f.o.., (i,l. bo,,,c, nbl
to take with him the desired specimens but
Professor Agassiz, guided by the descriptions
furnished by him, through the assistance of his
brothcr-in-law, Mr.. 7. Ii. Cary, Jr., of San
Francisco, was 30 fortunate as to secure then
for his collection. Mr., Cary having, in his in
Q vestigaton, met with a species of the same fam
lily of fishes, transmitted specimens to Professor
t Agassiz at the same time with others conform
5 ing to the description of Mr.. jackson, from
which it, in some respects, varied. The dis
tinguished ichthyologist has, accordingly, ap
piled to the genus of the newy-dscovered fisl
b the name, derived from their peculiarity OF re
e production, of Embiotoca Agassis, and divides
the honor of discovering the species bctwec
s Messrs. jackson and Cary, giving to one tn
n name of Embiotoca Jacksoni, and to the othc
+ that of Embiotoca CarW
c With regard to this distribution of the hon
Q ors of the discovery it may be proper to rcmar
o that, inasmuch as Mr. Jackson's Investigation
s were the only means by which the scientii
is world became acquainted with the fact of tn
/ existence and pecuiarities of this new family
fishes, the generic or family name should hay
g been derived from him, and not from Professc
l. Agassiz, who, 80 far as appears, had nothing
l. do with the discovery. The reason which Pre-
ls fcssor Agassiz would assign for thus Withhold,
Is ing the appropriate credit from Mr.. jackson
may doubtless bc inferred from the extract fro
r, his letter above quoted, viz: that Mr.. Jackst
ne had not been able to procure actual specimen
:" but had only furnished minute and caref
Ike description, together with an outline drawn
N, of the new fish. If this course agrees with
q usage of scientific men, we, of course, ha
ice nothing to say but it certainly does not COZ
mend itself to those notions which we had pl
'ds vously entertained in regard to cases Of Il
a nature. Mr. Cary, who, by means Of the