Part 1

THE ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. BEAGLE, UNDER THE COMMAND OF CAPTAIN FITZROY, R.N. DURING THE YEARS 1832 TO 1836.

PUBLISHED WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF HER MAJESTY’S TREASURY.

=Edited and Superintended by=

CHARLES DARWIN, ESQ. M.A. F.R.S. F.G.S., ETC.

NATURALIST TO THE EXPEDITION.

PART IV.

FISH,

THE REV. LEONARD JENYNS, M.A., F.L.S., &c.

LONDON:

PUBLISHED BY SMITH, ELDER, AND CO. 65, CORNHILL.

MDCCCXLII.

LONDON: PRINTED BY STEWART AND MURRAY, OLD BAILEY.

FISH,

=Described by=

THE REV. LEONARD JENYNS, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S., F.Z.S.

FELLOW OF THE CAMBRIDGE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY; HONORARY MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND, AND OF THE BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY.

ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS.

INTRODUCTION.

The number of species of Fish described or noticed in the following Part of the Zoology of the Beagle, amount to 137. It is right to observe that, judging from Mr. Darwin’s manuscript notes, relating to what he obtained in this department, this is probably not more than half the entire number which he collected. Unfortunately a large portion of the valuable collection sent home by him arrived in this country in too bad condition for examination, and was necessarily rejected.

The localities visited by Mr. Darwin, and at every one of which more or fewer species of fish were obtained, were the Cape Verde Islands,—the coast of Brazil, including the mouth of the Plata, together with several inland rivers and streams in that district,—the coasts of Patagonia, and the Santa Cruz river,—Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands,—the Archipelago of Chiloe,—the coasts of Chile and Peru,—the Galapagos Archipelago,—Tahiti,—New Zealand, King George’s Sound in Australia,—and, lastly, the Keeling Islands in the Indian Ocean. The great bulk of the species, however, are from the coasts, east and west, of South America.

The particular locality assigned to each species respectively in the following work may be relied upon as correct; pains having been taken by Mr. Darwin to affix a small ticket of tin, with a number stamped upon it, to each specimen, and to enter a note immediately in the manuscript catalogue, having the same number attached. In only three or four instances these tickets were found wanting, on the arrival of the collection in this country.

A considerable portion of the species examined and described are new to science, especially of those collected in South America, and the adjoining Islands and Archipelagos. The new ones are supposed to amount to seventy-five at least, constituting more than half the entire number; and amongst these are apparently seven new genera.

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 at least half;—from Tierra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands, and the Galapagos Archipelago, all are new, 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 one-fourth 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 which 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 George’s 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.

ACANTHOPTERYGII.