It may be interesting to state more particularly from what localities the new
species principally come, and what proportion they bear to the entire number
brought from each of those localities. Thus from Brazil about half are considered
new from Patagonia ai least from Tieria del Fuego, the Falkland Islands,
and the Galapagos Archipelago, all are neiv, without exception; and nearly all
from Chiloe, and the coasts of Chile and Peru. Of the species brought from
Tahiti, New Holland, and the Indian Ocean, not above onefoarth are new. This
might have been anticipated from the better knowledge which we have of the
Ichthyology of that quarter of the globe, than of South America.
It is much to be regretted that the portion of the collection whicli has been
lost to science, was obtained in localities most abounding in novelties, judging
from that portion of it which has been saved. Thus, not above five or six species
will be found noticed in the following work, from Tierra del Fuego, where Mr.
Darwin took especial pains to collect all he could, and, judging from his manuscript
catalogue, he must probably have obtained between thirty and forty.
From the Falkland Islands again, there have been only saved two out of fifteen
or sixteen,—from the coasts of Chile and Peru, not half the entire number
obtained, and not above half from the coasts of Patagonia.
There is also described not above half the species brought from King
Georges Sound, and the Keeling Islands ; but as the Indian and Australian
species, or at least the former, have been more frequently brought to Europe than
the South American, they are less to be regretted than these last.
It is fortunate that the whole of the species obtained by Mr. Darwin in the
Galapagos Archipelago, amounting to fifteen, have been preserved, and are
described in the following pages.
It may now be useful to mention, to what groups principally—first, the entire
number of described species belong, and, secondly, that portion of them which
are considered new. Both these points will be best judged of from the following
table, in which the whole collection is parcelled out according to the families.
A C A N TH O PT ER Y G II.
P e r c id ® . Efltire No. of species 18 w hereof new 11 Brought up . 4 5
M u l l id ® . . 3 SCOMBRID® . . 7 . . .
T r i g l i d ® . . 3 . 1 T e u t h y d i d ® . 2
C o t t id ® . . 2 2 A t h e r in id ® . 3 . . .
S c o r p ® n i d ® . 4 . 2 M u g i l i d ® . . 3
SC I.E N JD .E . . 1 0 . 5 B l e s n i d ® . . 11 .
S p a r id ® . 1 1 G o b id ®
L a b r id ® . 7 . . .
C h ® t o d o n t i d ® . . 2 L o p h id ® . 1
4 5 22 T o t a l . . 82 T o t a l , n e w
22
3
M A LA CO PTEllY G II.
SiLURiD®. Entire N o of species 3 whereof ilew 2
C y p r in i d ® . . . 7 . . . 6
E s o c id ® . 1
S a l m o n id ® . . 8 . . . 7
C l u p e i d ® .
F l e u r o n e c t id ® . . 6 . . 1
[probably more.]
30 21
B r o u g h t . . . 3 0 21
C TCLOPTE RIDiE . . . . 2 . . . 2
E c u e n e i d id ® . . . . I
A n g u i l l i u ® . . . . G . . . 2
[perhaps more.]
L O PIIO B R A N C H II.
S y n g n a t ii i d ® . Entire N o . of species . . 3 whereof n
PLE C TO G N A TH L
T e t r o d o n t i d ® . E ntire N o. of species .
B a l i s t id ® .....................................................................
7 whereof new
5 . . .
. 3 9 T o t a l , i
CYCLOSTOMI.
P e t r o m y z o m d ® . Entire N o . of species. . 1 whereof n ew . . . 1
TOTAL IN T H E SEV ER A L ORDERS.
A c a n t h o p t e r y g i i . E ntire No. of species . . 8 2 whereof new . .4 1
M a l a c o p t e r y g j i ........................................................... 3 9 ................................................................2 3
L o p u o b r a n c h i i ...............................................................3 ..................................................................3
P l e c t o g n a t i i i ...........................................................................1 2 ..................................................................5
C y c l o s t o m i .............................................................................1 ..................................................................1
G r a n d T o t a l 1 3 7 G r a n d T o : - 75
It appears from the above table that of the entire number of species, three-
fifths belong to the AcaiUhopterygian fishes,—rather more than one-fourth to the
Malacopterygian,—and about one-eighth to the remaining orders united.
In the Acanthopterygians, the new species amount to one-half; in the Mala-
copter}'gians, to about two-thirds ; in the remaining orders togetlier, to rather
more than one-half.
Looking, therefore, to the entire number of species described, the Acanthopterygians
prevail ; and it is in the same order that there are most new ones : but
looking to the proportion, which in each order the new ones bear to the entire
number, it is among the Malacopterygians that this proportion will be found
highest.
Restricting our view, it will be also seen, in the Malacopterygians, that the
new species are relatively most numerous in the fresh-water groups, such as the
Siliiridce, the CyprinidcE, and SahnonidcB, in which three families taken together,