AiJTAECTIC SHOEE FISHES. 289 



4. The Patagonian district is, with the exception of the 

 neighbourhood of the mouth of the Eio de la Plata, almost 

 unknown. In that estuary occur Mustelus vulgaris, two Baja, 

 two Trygon, several Scisenoids, Paropsis signata and Percophis 

 Irasilianus (two fishes peculiar to this coast), Prionotus punc- 

 tatus, Lcemonema longifilis (a Gadoid), a Pseudorhomlus, two 

 Soles, Engraulis olidus, a Syngnathus, Conger vulgaris, and 

 Ophichihys ocellatus ; and if we notice the occurrence of a 

 Serranus and Caranx, of Aphritis and Pinguipes, and of 

 two or three Clupea, we shall have enumerated all that is 

 known of this fauna. The fishes of the southern part, viz. 

 the coast of Patagonia proper, southwards to Magelheen's 

 Straits, are unknown ; which is the more to be regretted, as 

 it is most probably the part in which the characteristic types 

 of this district are most developed. 



V. — Shoke Pishes oe the Antaectic Ocean. 



To this fauna we refer the shore fishes of the southern- 

 most extremity of South America, from 50° lat. S., with 

 Terra del Puego and the Palkland Islands, and those of Ker- 

 guelen's Land, with Prince Edward's Island. No fishes are 

 known from the other oceanic islands of these latitudes. 



In the Southern Hemisphere surface fishes do not extend 

 so far towards the Pole as in the Northern ; none are known 

 from beyond 60° lat. S., and the Antarctic Fauna, which is 

 analogous to the Arctic Pauna, inhabits coasts more than ten 

 degrees nearer to the equator. It is very probable that the 

 shores between 60° and the Antarctic circle are inhabited 

 by fishes sufficiently numerous to supply part of the means 

 of subsistence for the large Seals which pass there at least 

 some season of the year, but hitherto none have been ob- 

 tained by naturalists ; aU that the present state of our know- 

 ledge justifies us in saying is, that the general character of 



V 



