1896. A ZOOLOGIST IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO. i8i 



scientists, thus forming a useful complement to our knowledge of its 

 fauna. Weak points in my collections, besides the small number of 

 birds, the reason for which has been referred to, are the poor results 

 from the towing-net and deep-sea dredgings, accounted for in great 

 part by unfavourable weather and strong currents. During our 

 expedition dredgings were carried on at thirty-six different places, to 

 depths of from five to 150. fathoms, while terrestrial, freshwater, and 

 playa-iorms were collected at some thirty-three different localities at 

 least. The towing-net was used at about fifteen places, and a number 

 of fish were caught. 



In regard to the preservation of the animals collected, it was 

 only at Punta Arenas that I had time to use the new methods of 

 fixation ; most marine forms, therefore, I put directly into alcohol 

 (70 to 80 per cent.) or into formalin (i to 2 per cent.). The latter I 

 found very good for fishes, tunicates, molluscs, annelids, echinoderms, 

 and coelenterates, but not for sponges, which I therefore put in spirit. 

 Formalin preserved the shape very well, and in many cases the 

 colour also. Animals caught in the towing-net or from fresh water 

 I preserved by adding a few drops of 40 per cent, formalin to the 

 water in the jar in which I kept them. Coleoptera (except very hairy 

 ones), Hemiptera, spiders, and all larvae I killed and preserved in 

 alcohol. Other insects, such as Diptera, Lepidoptera, etc., I put into 

 a bottle with cyanide of potassium, and afterwards kept dry in paper. 

 I cannot yet speak of the quality of our collections, but I may give an 

 imperfect idea of their number by mentioning that they are contained 

 in some 1,300 jars, many of which had to be crammed with different 

 species, owing to the difficulty of obtaining more glass jars in Punta 

 Arenas. I hope, when all our material is worked out, to publish 

 a fuller report, enumerating all localities visited, their position, 

 physical relations, etc., and giving a historical review of all voyages 

 to these parts, and a complete bibliography, as well as more detailed 

 and accurate maps. The two maps accompanying this paper are 

 drawn from an Argentine Government publication, and from 

 Cunningham's " Notes on the Natural History of the Strait of 

 Magellan and West Coast of Patagonia," Edinburgh, 1871. 



Finally, I wish to offer my warmest thanks to the Chilian officers 

 in Punta Arenas, especially to the Governor, Captain Sehoret, and 

 to Captain Gomez, of the " Errazuriz," who, with the greatest 

 generosity, unparalleled in any country in Europe, put vessels at my 

 disposal and gave me other opportunities of making trips. It also 

 gives me pleasure to acknowledge my indebtedness to Captain 

 Fontaine, Lieutenants Portaluppi, Valderrama, Sanchez, and the pilot, 

 Mr. Hyden, ofthe "Condor" and " Huemul." Without their kind 

 assistance, my zoological collections would have been worth very little. 

 Wisingso, Sweden. Axel Ohlin. 



