106 REPORT — 1875. 



have been worked out by Mr. Salvin and myself (90-92) ; and Mr. Hudson has like- 

 wise published a series of interesting notices on the habits of the species (0.3-100 ). 



The 'Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle' (101) contains much information 

 concerning the animals of La Plata, Patagonia, and Chili. The " Mammals " by 

 AVaterhouse, the " Birds " by Gould and G. R. Gray, the " Fishes " by Jenyns, and 

 the " Reptiles " by Bell, illustrated with notes and observations of Mr. Darwin, will 

 ever remain among the leading authorities on the animals of this part of America. 

 On the Rio Negro of Patagonia, where Mr. Darwin made considerable collections, 

 we have a more recent authority in Mr. W. H. Hudson, whose series of birds from 

 this district was examined by myself in 1872 (102). 



Dr. R. O. Cunningham has recently followed on the footsteps of Mr. Dar^^^n in 

 Patagonia, and, besides his journal of travels, has published notes on the animals 

 met with, in the Liunean Society's ' Transactions' (103). Mr. Salvin and I have 

 given an account of his ornithological collections in several papers in ' The Ibis ' 

 (104). 



As regards the Falkland Islands, two excellent collectors and observers— Capt. 

 Packe and Capt. Abbott — have of late years been stationed there, and have pro- 

 vided the means of our becoming well acquainted with the native birds. Their 

 collections have been examined by Mr. Gould and myself (105, lOG) ; and Capt. 

 Abbott has furnished many valuable notes on their contents (107). 



Lastly, as regards Chili, we have Gay's somewhat pretentious ' Fauna Cliilena,' 

 forming the zoological portion of his ' Historia Fisica y Politica de Chile.' The 

 volume on the Mammals and Bhds was compiled at Paris by Desmm-s, and that on 

 the Reptiles and Fishes by Guichenot ; but thev are not very trustworthy. The 

 German naturalists of the National Museum of Santiago, Philippi and Laudbeck, 

 have of late years published in Wiegmann's ' Archiv ' many memoii's on the zoology 

 of the Chilian Republic, of which I have given a list in a paper on the Birds of Chili 

 in the Zoological Society's ' Proceedings ' for 1867 (108 ). More recently Messrs. 

 Philippi and Landbeck have published a catalogue of Chilian birds in the ' Anales 

 de la Universidad de Chile ' (109). But Mr. E. C. Reed, C.M.Z.S., who is likewise 

 attached to the museum of Santiago, writes me word that he is now engaged in 

 preparing for publication a complete revision of the Vertebrates of the Republic, 

 which will no doubt give us still better information on this subject. 



6. Galapagos. 



Until recently our knowledge of the very singulai' fauna of the Galapagos was 

 mainly based upon Mr. Darwin's researches, as published in the ' Zoology of the 

 Beagle,' above referred to. Recently, however, Mr. Salvin and I have described some 

 new species of birds from these islands from Dr. Habel's collection (110) ; and Prof. 

 Sundevall has published an accoimt of the birds collected there during the voyage 

 of the Swedish frigate 'Eugenie' in 1852 (111). Mr. Salvin has likewise pre- 

 pared and read before the Zoological Society a complete ]\Iemoir on the Orni- 

 thology of the Galapagoan Archipelago, which will shortly be printed in the 

 Society's ' Transactions.' Much interest has also been recently manifested con- 

 cerning the gigantic Tortoises of the Galapagos, which Dr. Giinther has reason to 

 believe belong to several species, each restricted to a separate island*. Indeed I 

 am much pleased to hear that the Lords of the Admiraltj', incited by Dr. Giinther's 

 requests, have despatched H.M.S. ' Tenedos ' of the Pacific squadi-on from Panama 

 to the Galapagos, for the express purpose of capturing and bringing to England 

 specimens of the Tortoises of each of tlie islands. We may therefore hope to be 

 shortly more accitrately informed upon this most interesting subject. 



Va. THE ANTILLEAN SUBREGION. 



The study of the fauna of the West-India Islands presents problems to us of the 



greatest interest : — first, on account of the relics of an ancient and primitive fauna 



which are foimd there, as indicated by the presence of such types as Solenodon, 



Dultis, and Starnonnas ; and, secondly, from the many instances of representative 



» See ' Nature,' vol. sii. p. 238 (1875). 



