238 



FISHES. 



into the southern temperate region. The majority reach to 

 a height of 15,000 feet above the level of the sea, and a fevr 

 are found still higher. 



D. The Teopical Pacific Eegion includes all the islands 

 east of Wallace's Line, New Guinea, Australia — with the ex- 

 ception of its south-eastern portion, — and all the islands of 

 the Tropical Pacific to the Sandwich group. Comparing the 

 area of this region with that of the others, we find it to be 

 not only the poorest in point of the number of its species 

 generally, but also in that of the possession of peculiar forms, 

 as will appear from the following list : — 



Dipnoi [Neotrop., Africa.] 



Cemtodus .... 2 species. 



Percidse [CosmopoL] — 



Lates (calcarifer) [India] . . 1 „ 



Nannoperca . . . . 1 „ 



Oligorus [New Zealand] . . . 1 ,, 



Dules [India] . . . . 8 „ 



Labyrinthici — 



Anabas (scandens) [India] 

 Ophiocephalidse — 



Ophiocephalus (striatus) [India] . 

 Atherinidse [Brack-water] — 



Atherinichthys . 

 Osteoglossidse [India, Africa, Neotrop.] 

 Siluridse — 



Plotosina [India] 



Ariina [India, Africa, Neotrop.] . 

 Symbranchidae — 



Monopterus (javanicus) [India] . 



Total 



The paucity of freshwater fishes is due, in the first place, 

 to the arid climate and the deficiency of water in the Aus- 



