CONTENTS Acknowledgements vii Picture credits ix Foreword x Preface xiii Southern Africa (map) xviii East coast of Africa (map) xix 1. JLB Smith's childhood: Karoo to Bishops 1 2. Young whippersnapper: Studies and pranks in Stellenbosch 9 3. Chemistry rules: From student to senior lecturer 15 4. Organic chemistry: Building a career in Grahamstown 21 5. Henriette Pienaar: First marriage, and raising a young family 29 6. Buchu to blacktails: Transition to ichthyology 35 7. Margaret Mary Macdonald: A new lifetime partner 51 8.

Agony and ecstasy: Dramatic discovery of the first coelacanth 63 9. Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer: Pioneering museum director 89 10. William Smith: Larger than life 96 11. Room to breathe: The difficult war years, and a new beginning 109 12. Grit and determination: The epic East African expeditions 117 13. Sea and shore dangers: Taking risks 134 14. Bombing and poisoning fishes: Effective but controversial short cuts 142 15. Jubilation: Publication of The Sea Fishes of Southern Africa 153 16.

The second coelacanth: 'It was more than worth.all that long strain' 167 17. Mending bridges: International collaboration on the coelacanth 191 18. Growth of a legend: Significance of the coelacanth 201 19. After the coelacanth: Consolidation and renewal 207 20. Fishy correspondence - One man's fish is another man's poisson 219 21. Old Fourlegs - The best fish book in the world 230 22. Bigger fish to fry: Team building, and the endgame 238 23.

Tragedy and recognition: Death of JLB and a flood of accolades 247 24. Lean as biltong: JLB under the microscope 256 25. Margaret's metamorphosis: Caterpillar to butterfly 271 26. Triumph: Birth of the JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology 277 27. Gone fishing: Ichthyology thrives in Grahamstown 285 28. Fauna and Flora: Reconnecting in their dotage 298 29. Pride and joy: The Smiths' amazing legacy 307 Postscript 324 Acronyms 326 References and further reading 327 Index 337.