Page:The birds of Tierra del Fuego - Richard Crawshay.djvu/48

xxviii Reptiles appear to have no other representative than a little green Lizard (Liolæmus magellanicus).

Amphibia, as far as I am aware, are totally absent.

Of the Fishes. Dr. A. Glinther observes that:—"In Marine forms, many representatives of northern genera reappear: such as the Spiny Dog Fish (Acanthias vulgaris), species of Raja, Sebastes, Agonus, Mugil, Lycodes, Merluccms, Myxine; while the northern Cottoids are replaced by forms similar in outward appearance, but belonging to different families, namely Aphritis, Eleginus, Chœnichthys, Bovichthys, Dissostichus, Notothenia, Harpagifer. Other genera peculiar to this fauna are a Ray (Psammobatis), Maynea allied to Lycodes, and one of Flatfishes (Pleuronecttdos), a family which generally is poorly represented in the Antarctic region. Most of these Fishes are edible, but among them the Atherines (Atheerinchthys), misnamed Smelts, take the first place."

"As regards Freshwater Fishes, the Antarctic region generally is poor in variety of types; and Tierra del Fuego does not differ from the mainland, except in being still more pauperized. The two characteristic families of this region, the Haplochitonidæ and Galaxiidæ—of which the former are the analogues of the Northern Salmonidæ, and the latter of the Esocidce—are both represented in the island, as far as we know at present, by four or five species, all of which are of small or even very small size."

Fishes above all others likely to impress travellers are the beautiful delicate-looking Atherinichthys latidavia, so often alluded to by voyagers, one of the very best Fishes I have eaten in any part of the world; and a Grey Mullet (Mugil), found alike in the sea and in freshwater streams, and perhaps identical with M, cephalus of the northern hemisphere.

Although I put myself to considerable trouble in collecting Spiders. I have only been able to determine the families of these. Families accounted for are:— Lycosidæ (Wolf Spiders); Theridiidæ (Line Spinners); Archæidæe; Argiopidæ (Orb