THE AXNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. [SEVENTH SERIES.] No. 75. MARCH 1904. XIX. — A Synopsis of the Suborders and Families of Teleostean Fishes. By G. A. BoULENGEE, F.R S. For several years I have been endeavouring to improve the classification of Teleostean Fishes, chiefly through a study of their skeletons, of which a large series lias been prepared in the British ]\luseum ; and Dr. A. Smith Woodward iias recently jMiblislied his views on tlie arrangement of the fossil types of this order. The time has come to gather together the information thus obtained. The synopsis liere offered was prepared two years ago for the fish-volume of the ' Cambridge Natural History,' but owing to circumstances over which I have had no control its publication in that work is still further delayed. Several important changes to my original scheme have been made during this lapse of time, owing to the work carried on in America by Drs. Gill, Jordan, and Starks, and in this country by my young colleague Mr. (.). Tate Regan, whose criticisms on many points I gratefully acknowledge. I need hardly say that I regard this new arrangement of an enormous and most difficult group, including close upon 12,000 species, as merely provisional, and I am fully aware that not a few groupings are nothing but card castles, which future investigations are likely to upset. But my aim has been to build up on phylogenetic lines, and as such I sincerely trust my attempt will be found a considerable improvement on the previous systems and serve as a basis for criticism, Ann. & Mag. X. Hist, Ser. 7, Vol. xiii. 11
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