Over a South Atlantic Continent 455 



ready noticed (p. 352), Similarly species of Stygogenes 

 and of Arges are found at elevations of 10,000 or more 

 feet in the mountains of Ecuador, while related members 

 of the curious family Loricariidae occur at varying lower 

 elevations. 



If then an extensive and more or less continuous south- 

 ern landmass existed from Eocene to the close of Miocene 

 time, It might be expected that — in addition to freshwater 

 forms — various types that had already permanently adopt- 

 ed a marine life, might have spread along the shores, and 

 particularly the northern shores of this southern continent. 

 Excluding from consideration a considerable number given 

 in Hutton's later list (252:275) which we would trace 

 as immigrants from Asiatic seas, others are still left that 

 seem perfectly to agree with such an origin. Thus Scorpis 

 occurs along the coasts of Chile, S. Africa, Australia and 

 N. Zealand ; Thyrsites attin is common to the S. African, 

 Tasmanian and Australian coasts; Notothenia Is met with 

 in Chile, the Falklands, Kerguelen, Auckland Island, Cape 

 Howe and N. Zealand, as well as southward to the antarctic 

 islands; while the Southern Sandeel {Gonorhynchiis gre'yi) 

 occurs round Cape of Good Hope, St. Pauls Island, N. 

 Zealand, Australia, and on to Japan. These doubtless are 

 only a small remnant of others, that may abundantly have 

 Inhabited, and passed along the coastal seas, between the 

 American and the Australian continents. 



The remarkable development of the Nototheniidae, and 

 to a less degree of the Leptoscopldae, as marine antarctic 

 groups, is strikingly set forth in Dollo's studies of the fishes 

 secured by the "Belgica Expedition" (255 : "Fishes") ; in 

 Boulenger's studies for the "National Antarctic Expedition" 

 (284:11); in those of Valllant for the French Antarctic 

 Expedition {28 f;: "Fishes") and in those of Regan for the 

 "Terra Nova Expedition" of 19 10 {286: i). Such may in- 

 dicate that on breaking up of the South Continent, the gen- 

 era and species of the above two families became Increasing- 

 ly adapted to cold conditions, and multiplied In these re- 

 gions. Further, as the great continental mass must have 

 broken up, and became submerged as now to a depth of 

 1000-3000 fathoms below sea level, these originally coastal 



