102 J. MURRAY 



I 



Tardigrada we would not expect far inland. As far as moss could exist water- 

 bears might be expected. At present none is known south of latitude 78. 



So few are the Tardigrada of Victoria Land that it is hardly worth while entering 

 into any discussion of general questions concerning their origin and relationships. 



Taken in conjunction with the Tardigrada of other parts of the Antarctic, altogether 

 making the modest total of sixteen identified species, it may be better worth while to 

 discuss such questions. 



The whole circuit of the Antarctic Coast has only been touched (for purposes of 

 biological study) at three points in its many thousands of miles : at Graham Land, at 

 the Gaussberg, and at South Victoria Land. The Graham Land region, including the 

 Islands, lies entirely outside the Antarctic Circle ; the Gaussberg is almost on the 

 Circle ; Victoria Land is far to the south. The region round Graham Land is best 

 known. Some half-dozen expeditions have visited it, but only the Scottish and 

 Swedish have published reports on the Tardigrada. 



It is hoped that Dr. Charcot's recent expedition will afford material for further 

 study of the Tardigrada of this region. 



There is undoubtedly a fairly rich Tardigrade fauna in the region lying south of 

 Cape Horn. The other two points of the continent examined are very poor in 

 Tardigrada. In Victoria Land, Ross Island is reckoned as part of the continent. 

 Though technically an island, permanent ice or snow joins it with the mainland. 



In the following table a list is given of all known Antarctic species, with their distri- 

 bution in the three Antarctic localities, and their general distribution over the world. 



The list includes sixteen species, but many others are known to exist, at least in 

 the islands. There are three species of Echiniscus, one of Milnesium, nine ofMacroliotus, 

 and three of Diphascon. 



Seven of these species are known to be widely distributed over the world : they are, 

 E. arctomys (?), M. tardigradum, M. echinogenitus, M. oberhausen, D. chilenense, 



D. alpinum, and D. scoticum. 



Three species are not yet known outside the Antarctic, but the adjacent lands are 

 too little known to permit us to build anything on the restriction. The species are 



E. meridionalis, M. meridionalis, and M. poZorts. 



Two species are only known in the southern hemisphere. M. furciger is common 

 in the Antarctic region south of Cape Horn, and in the adjacent sub- Antarctic localities 

 of Tierra del Fuego and South Georgia. On the other side of the world it occurs in 

 New Zealand, where it is found in both the principal islands, and in the North Island 

 attains to a sub-tropical latitude. M. asper is only found in the Antarctic to the 

 south of Cape Horn and in the neighbouring South Georgia. 



Three species appear to have a bi-polar distribution. E. wendti is in both polar 

 regions, and is also recorded for Germany and doubtfully for Scotland.* M. arcticus 

 is in both polar regions, and is also doubtfully recorded for New Zealand, Australia, 

 * It has now been found (September 1910) on the summit of Snowdon, in Wales. 



