The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-01
NEW ICHTHYoLoGY.

North America, by Professors David s. Jor-
don and Charles H Gilbert, of the State Uni
versity at Bloomington. This bulletin is the
sixteenth of a series of papers designed to
illustrate the collections of natural history
and ethnology belonging to the United States
has been prepared at the request of the
Smithsonian Institution, and printed by
authority of the Secretary of the Interior,
and is in brief the most important and valu-
BILE single contribution yet made to our
knowledge of American fishes. This memoir
is chunky volume of l, 100 pages-5O of con-
tents, 900 in the body, and 100 addenda
ct corrigendi. 1t gives concise de-
scriptions of all the species of fish known
to inhabit either the inland or coast waters
of North America north of the Mexican
tons of 1889 different species, comprising
486 genera, arranged in 100 different families
The classification is based on the views
of Professors Gill and Cope, who have, ac-
cording to the authors, "been more fortu-
nate in rejecting nature in their grouping
of tie fishes than have any of the European
systematists.' The nomenclature is that
generally recognized by naturalsts, rigidy
enforcing the rules formulated by Mr.. W.
HI. Dali and generally adopted by American
naturalists. Useless synonymy is omitted;
nnnnoh c oiU IN xJifh
other descriptive works. The printing of
this volume has extended over more than
three years-from 1879 to September, 1882
The printing was interrupted mainly by the
absence of its authors when engaged in col
lecting. One year was spent by them on
the Pacific coast with the result of the add
ton of half hundred new species to our fish
fauna. Other trips, aggregating another year,
have been made to Charleston, S. c., the
Gulf of Mexico and to the Isthmus,, Of
Panama. All of these trips were productiass
in ARCHAEOLOGICAL knowledge and were
undertaken by the advice and with the aid
of Professor Spencer F. Baird, secretary of
the Smithsonian Institution, and veteran
naturalist of the United States.
This book of Professors Jordan and Gill
bert marks new era in the hitherto much
neglected study of fishes in the United
States. DIR. Jordan is already recognized as
the American Gunther and his published
papers on fishes, with those of his co-laborer,
Professor Gilbert, already exceed $50 differ
ent titles, mainly published by the govern
ment, and are collectively only equivalent in
value to the science of ichthyology with DR..
Gunther's great catalogue of the fishes of the
British Museum. In arrangement and gen.
eral plan this new manual of DIR. Jordan's is
similar to DR.. Caves Key to the North
American Birds" and as a band book for
students and reference book for naturalists
will do for American ichthyology what
Caves Key has done for American ornithol-
ogy. 1t is a book for naturalists and public
libraries. The amateur sportsman will find
no more space given to the black bass or
speckled trout than to the various new spe-
cies of Johnny Darters," discovered by DR..
Jordan in Pogue's Run or Fall Creek.
Like all government publications this is
not for SALE. Unlike many of them it will
not be kicked into the waste heap and sold
for old paper. Like DR.. Caves Birds of the
Northwest and Birds of the Colorado Val
ley" it will soon be "out of print" and held
as a costly treasure by the special dealers. 1t
is not generally known that the national gov
eminent pays nothing to the writers tor its
natural history publications. Their authors
are the men who work for glory and few
extra copies" Our State University should
take pride that it harbors the most eminent
of American ichthyologlsts. and also pos
sesses the completest collection of American
fishes outside the Smithsonian Institution,
and many of them the types of new species,
In scientific matters Indiana is certainly
looking up. With such men as Professors
Jordan and Gilbert in zoology; Professor
John Coulter of Wabash College, extending
the range of Gray's Botany to the Rocky
Mountains; with Professor Goss and Presi-
dent Thompson establishing schools of me-
chanic arts; with DR.. Harvey Wiley making
original and valuable researches on sugars,
there is certainly ground for encouragement.
With the same State aid that is given by Illi-
nois to her eminent scentists-to Professor
S. A. Forbes, IT, J. Burrill and Cyrus Thomas,
among others-Indiana might also build up
State museums, and make known to its peo-
pie the natural history of its woods and
waters. AS it is, we have department of
statistics and commissioner of fishes cram ped
in salary and all means of making the de-
partments of any value to the State. Under
DIR. Collett the State museum has doubled its