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by Boulenger, George Albert; Bridge, T. W. (Thomas William); Herdman, W. A. (William Abbott), Sir
Language: en4,527 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Science - Biology·Nature/Gardening/Animals
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #73702.
The Cambridge Natural History, Volume 7 of the ten‑part series, is a scholarly reference work that surveys the diversity of chordates, from the primitive hemichordates through the full range of fishes. Its opening pages are dominated by a formal preface dated July 1904, in which the editors, George A. Boulenger, T. W. Bridge, and W. A. Herdman, acknowledge the contributions of colleagues and outline the ambitious contents: detailed chapters on hemichordates, tunicates, cephalochordates, and an exhaustive taxonomy of fishes, complete with figures, classifications, and extensive species lists. The text begins with a discussion of the hemichordates, describing their anatomy, developmental stages, and the historical debate over their relationship to vertebrates, setting the tone for a meticulous, data‑rich exploration of animal biology.
Written in the measured, didactic prose of early‑20th‑century scientific literature, the volume reflects the conventions of its era: extensive footnotes, formal acknowledgments, and a reliance on contemporary authorities such as Spengel and Bateson. Its audience is primarily scholars, historians of science, and serious naturalists who appreciate exhaustive taxonomic detail and historical context. Readers interested in the evolution of zoological classification, or in a period‑accurate perspective on marine and vertebrate anatomy, will find the work both informative and representative of its time.
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In view of the novelty of Mr. Boulenger's classification of the Teleosteans, and of the fact that several independent workers have been occupying themselves with the subject during the last year or two, it is fair to state that this part of the volume was completed in 1902. Professor Herdman's account of the Ascidians was ready for publication two years earlier.
Professor Bridge wishes to express his best thanks to Dr. R. H. Traquair. F.R.S., for his kindness in reading the proofs of the pages which deal with the fossil Crossopterygii, Chondrostei, Holostei and Dipnoi, and for much helpful advice and criticism; to Mr. G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S., for his valuable and suggestive criticism on certain points; and to Mr. Edwin Wilson, for the care which he has taken in the preparation of the figures.
July 1904.
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