The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...
The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ... The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...
—.448 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [PART III.of land and sea by which the phenomena of animal distributionin the Pacific have been brought about.Reptiles of the Polynesian Sub-region.—The researches ofMr. Darwin on Coral Islands, proved, that large areas in thePacific Ocean have been recently subsiding; but the peculiarforms of life which they present, no less clearly indicate theformer existence of some extensive lands. The total absence ofMammalia, however, shows either that these lands never formedpart of the Australian or Papuan continents, or ifthey did, thatthey have been since subjected to such an amount of subsidenceas to exterminate most of their higher terrestrial forms of life.It is a remarkable circumstance, that although Mammalia (exceptbats) are wanting, there are a considerable number of reptilesrano-in« over the whole sub-region. Lizards are the mostnumerous, five families and fourteen genera being represented,as follows :1. Cryptoblepharus2. Ablepharus ...3. Lygosoma4. Mabouya5. Euprepes.6. Dactyloperus ...7. Doryura8. Gehyra9. Amydosaurus .10. Heteronota11. (hrrdophus ...Brachylophus . .12.13. Lophura14. Chioroscartes(Gyninopthalnridse)n(Scincidgej»(Geckotidse)(Geckotidse)(Iguanidse)(Agaiuidse)Fiji Islands.All the islands.Pelew Islands, New Caledonia.Samoa Islands.Pacific Islands.Sandwich Islands.Pacific Islands.Fiji Islands.Tahiti.Fiji Islands.New Caledonia.Fiji Islands.Pelew Islands.Fiji Islands.The first five are wide-spread genera, represented mostly bypeculiar species ; but sometimes the species themselves have awide range, as in the case of Ablepharus pazcilopleurus, which(according to Dr. Gunther) is found in Timor, Australia, NewCaledonia, Savage Island (one of the Samoa group), and theSandwich Islands! Gehyra and Heteronota are Australiangenera ;while Lophura has reached the Pelew Islands from theMoluccas. The remainder (printed in italics), are peculiar genera;Brachylophus being especially interesting as an example of an
chap, xiii.] THE AUSTRALIAN REGION. 449otherwise peculiar American family, occurring so far acrossPacific.theSnakes are much less abundant, only four genera being represented,one of them marine. They are, Anoplodipsas, a peculiargenus of Amblycephalidse from New Caledonia; Enygrus, agenus of Pythonidse from the Fiji Islands ; Ogmodon, a peculiargenus of Elapidae, also from the Fiji Islands, but ranging toPapua and the Moluccas ;and Platurus, a wide-spread genus ofsea-snakes (Hydrophidre). In the more remote Sandwich andSociety Islands there appear to be no snakes. This accordswith our conclusion that lizards have some special means ofdispersal over the ocean which detracts from their value asindicating zoo-geographical affinities ;which is further provedby the marvellous range of a single species (referred to above)from Australia tothe Sandwich Islands.A species of Hyla is said to inhabit the New Hebrides, andseveral species of Platymantis (tree-frogs) are found in the FijiIslands ; but otherwise the Amphibians appear to be unrepresentedin the sub-region, though they will most likely be foundin so large an island as New Caledonia.From the foregoing sketch, it appears, that although thereptiles present some special features, they agree on the wholewith the birds, in showing, that the islands of Polynesiaall belong to the Australian region, and that in the Fiji Islandsis to be found the fullest development of their peculiarfauna.IV. New Zealand Sub-region.The islands of New Zealand are more completely oceanicthan any other extensive tract of land, being about 1,200miles from Australia and nearly the same distance from NewCaledonia and the Friendly Isles. There are, however, severalislets scattered around, whose productions show that theybelong to the same sub-region ;—the principal being, NorfolkIsland, Lord Howe's Island, and the Kermadec Isles, on thenorth ; Chatham Island on the east ; the Auckland and MacquarieIsles on the south ;—and if these were once joined to
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—.448 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [PART III.<strong>of</strong> land and sea by which <strong>the</strong> phenomena <strong>of</strong> animal <strong>distribution</strong>in <strong>the</strong> Pacific have been brought about.Reptiles <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Polynesian Sub-region.—<strong>The</strong> researches <strong>of</strong>Mr. Darwin on Coral Islands, proved, that large areas in <strong>the</strong>Pacific Ocean have been recently subsiding; but <strong>the</strong> peculiarforms <strong>of</strong> life which <strong>the</strong>y present, no less clearly indicate <strong>the</strong>former existence <strong>of</strong> some extensive lands. <strong>The</strong> total absence <strong>of</strong>Mammalia, however, shows ei<strong>the</strong>r that <strong>the</strong>se lands never formedpart <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Australian or Papuan continents, or if<strong>the</strong>y did, that<strong>the</strong>y have been since subjected to such an amount <strong>of</strong> subsidenceas to exterminate most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir higher terrestrial forms <strong>of</strong> life.It is a remarkable circumstance, that although Mammalia (exceptbats) are wanting, <strong>the</strong>re are a considerable number <strong>of</strong> reptilesrano-in« over <strong>the</strong> whole sub-region. Lizards are <strong>the</strong> mostnumerous, five families and fourteen genera being represented,as follows :1. Cryptoblepharus2. Ablepharus ...3. Lygosoma4. Mabouya5. Euprepes.6. Dactyloperus ...7. Doryura8. Gehyra9. Amydosaurus .10. Heteronota11. (hrrdophus ...Brachylophus . .12.13. Lophura14. Chioroscartes(Gyninopthalnridse)n(Scincidgej»(Geckotidse)(Geckotidse)(Iguanidse)(Agaiuidse)Fiji Islands.All <strong>the</strong> islands.Pelew Islands, New Caledonia.Samoa Islands.Pacific Islands.Sandwich Islands.Pacific Islands.Fiji Islands.Tahiti.Fiji Islands.New Caledonia.Fiji Islands.Pelew Islands.Fiji Islands.<strong>The</strong> first five are wide-spread genera, represented mostly bypeculiar species ; but sometimes <strong>the</strong> species <strong>the</strong>mselves have awide range, as in <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> Ablepharus pazcilopleurus, which(according to Dr. Gun<strong>the</strong>r) is found in Timor, Australia, NewCaledonia, Savage Island (one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Samoa group), and <strong>the</strong>Sandwich Islands! Gehyra and Heteronota are Australiangenera ;while Lophura has reached <strong>the</strong> Pelew Islands from <strong>the</strong>Moluccas. <strong>The</strong> remainder (printed in italics), are peculiar genera;Brachylophus being especially interesting as an example <strong>of</strong> an
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