86 Capt. F. W. Hutton on the Geographical 



Hope nine each, three {Prosopodasys cottoides^ Trygon Kiihlii, 

 and Ostracton Fornasini) are not found nearer than the Indian 

 archipelago (the identification, liowever, of the latter is doubt- 

 ful), and one {Halargyreus Johnsoni) has been obtained at 

 Madeira only. The remaining thirteen are widely ranging 

 species. These 134 species have been distributed among 114 

 different genera, eleven of which are not found elsewhere. 

 The connexion with Australia is here, as might be expected, 

 so well marked that I need not dwell upon it, but will proceed 

 to examine the affinities of New Zealand to other countries. 

 Our former connexion with South America is indicated by 

 Mendosoma lineata, Notothenia cornucola, Merluccius Gayi, and 

 Genypterus hlacodes ; with South Africa by Trigla kumu^ 

 Gonorhynchus Greyly and Bdellostoma cirrhatum ; while the 

 occurrence of Gonorhynchus Greyi and Congromurcena habenata 

 at St. Paul's shows that that little volcanic island was also 

 probably connected. The occurrence in New Zealand of species 

 belonging to the southern genera Pseudorhomhus^ BovichthySj 

 Agriojms, Chilodactylus, and Scorjns points to the extension of 

 a former antarctic continent of which these islands formed a 

 part ; while Acanthurus triostegus, Dascyllus aruanus^ Chanos 

 salmoneuSj Peltorhamphus novce-zealandice^ a species of sting- 

 ray allied to Trygon thalassia, and species of the genera 

 Lahricthys and Trachelochismus show an affinity for the islands 

 of the Pacific. 



T have already remarked that three of our fishes are not 

 found nearer than the Indian archipelago ; and it is probable 

 that our species of Torpedo and Doryichthys came from that 

 direction also. But a still more curious affinity to Japan is 

 shown by the presence of the genera Lotella and Ditrema^ and 

 of another little fish {Calloptiluvi punctatum) which is found at 

 the mouth of the river Thames, and which has its nearest 

 allies in the genus Bregmaceros from China and the Philippine 

 Islands. Gonorhynchus Greyi and CLupea sagax are also both 

 found in Japan, but they occur in Australia as well. Our 

 species of Ditrema differs from D. Iceve of Japan in having 

 teeth on ifs palate and a band of teeth in each jaw instead of 

 a single row. Platystethus cidtratum, from Norfolk Island, is 

 also closely allied. This connexion with China and Japan is, 

 I consider, the chief point of interest in the distribution of our 

 marine fish. 



In the genus Tripterygium^ which is found only in the 

 Mediterranean, we have an anomaly which is parallel to the 

 cases of Fuligida and Mergus among the birds ; and as we 

 proceed we shall find many other similar cases cropping up. 



The freshwater fish naturally supply more important evi- 



