U AXEL A. OLSSON 



generally recognized along the Pacific Coast of North America, Central 

 America, and South America are as follows: 



1. The Aleutian or Oregonian Province 



Extends from the limit of floating ice in Bering Sea south to Point 

 Concepcion in California. 



2. The Californian Province 



From Point Concepcion south to Cape San Lucas at the southern 

 end of the peninsula of Lower California. 



3. The Panamic Province (the Panamic-Pacific) 



From the head of the Gulf of California (about lat 30° 30' N.) 

 south to Cabo Blanco in northwestern Peru (lat 4° 15' S.) A tropi- 

 cal zone with average surface temperatures between 80 and 85 

 degrees Fahrenheit except where modified by upwellings of cooler 

 waters. 



4. The Peruvian Province 



From Punta Aguja at the southwestern end of Sechura Bay in 

 northwestern Peru (lat 5° 40' S.) south to near Chiloe Island, 

 Chile (near lat 42° S.). Temperature of the surface waters con- 

 trolled by the Humboldt Current and extensive submarine up- 

 wellings. Temperature range between 58 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. 



5. The Magellanic or Patagonian Province 



From Chiloe southward to Cape Horn and thence northward along 

 the coast of Argentina. 



The geographic points selected as marking the boundaries between the 

 main faunal provinces are certain prominent capes or headlands where the 

 coast generally shows a marked change of trend. It is usually in the vicinity 

 of such headlands that major shifts in oceanic circulation frequently occur, 

 resulting in marked differences in the temperature of the surface waters 

 on either side. Usually, the change from one faunal zone to another is 

 gradual, producing a transitional or overlap zone with a mixed assemblage 

 of species spread over a belt of many miles. 



a. THE PANAMIC-PACIFIC PROVINCE 

 ITS LIMITS AND FAUNAL CHARACTERISTICS 



Largest in areal extent, the middle Province or the Panamic is also 

 the richest and most diversified in its faunal makeup. As the Republic of 

 Panama, from which the name "Panamic" is derived, borders on both the 

 Atlantic (Caribbean) and the Pacific, the term "Panamic-Pacific" more 

 clearly denotes the Pacific side and will be used in this work in place of 

 the single term "Panamic". 



