The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...

—chap, xiii.] THE AUSTRALIAN. REGION. 441to Tasmania ; which island appears to possess no peculiargenus of birds except Eudyptes, one of the penguins. WestAustralia has no wholly peculiar genus except Geopsittacus, acurious form of ground parroquet; the singular Atrichia, firstfound here, having been discovered in the east. In NorthAustralia, Emblcma (Ploceidce) is the only peculiar Australiangenus, but several Austro-Malayan and Papuan genera enter,as, Syma and Tanysiptera (Alcedinidse) ;Machcerihynchus(Muscicapidse) ; Calornis (Sturnidae) ; Manucodia, Ptilorhis, andjElurcedus (Paradiseidse) ; Megapodius ; and Casuarius. The presenceof a species of bustard (Eupodotis) in Australia, is verycurious, its nearest allies being in the plains of India and Africa.Among waders the genus Tribonyx, a thick-legged bird somewhatresembling the Notornis of New Zealand, though not closelyallied to it, is the most remarkable. The district where thetypical Australian forms most abound is undoubtedly the easternside of the island. The north and south are both somewhatpoorer, the west much poorer, although it possesses a few verypeculiar forms, especially among Mammalia. Tasmania is thepoorest of all,a considerable number of genera being here wanting;but, except the two peculiar carnivorous marsupials, itpossesses nothing to mark it off zoologically from the adjacentparts of the main land. It is probable that its insular climate,more moist and less variable than that of Australia, may not besuitable to some of the absent forms ; while others may requiremore space and more varied conditions, than are offered by acomparatively small island.The remaining classes of animals have been already discussedin our sketch of the region as a whole (p. 396).Plate XII Illustrating the Fauna of Australia.—In thisplate we take New South "Wales as our locality, and representchiefly, the more remarkable Australian types of birds. Themost conspicuous figure is the wonderful lyre-bird (Menura superba),the elegant plumage of whose tail is altogether unique inthe whole class of birds. The unadorned bird is the female. Inthe centre is the emu (Dromceus novm-hollandice) ,the representativein Australia, of the ostrich in Africa and America, but be-Yol. I.—30