212 RELATIONS OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. [CH. IV 



the Azores. At the same time if the tract of land, 

 now known a"s New Zealand, were a mass of smallish 

 islands during the time that mammalian life came into 

 existence upon the Australian continent, the small 

 superficies of the individual islands might hinder the 

 successful immigration of the primitive mammalia ; to get 

 a successful footing would be in every way more likely 

 upon a larger than upon a smaller land surface. The 

 chances of landing too would obviously be greater in 

 proportion to the extent of coast line. Had New Zealand 

 been as Madagascar undoubtedly was, a broken-off frag- 

 ment of a formerly more extensive Australian continent, 

 there would surely be some traces of at least marsupial 

 life. On the other hand it might be well urged in reply 

 to this that the connection of the two countries may have 

 antedated the advent of marsupials. A separation may 

 have occurred while Australia was only populated by the 

 lower vertebrates. Or with equal probability it might be 

 pointed out that Australia was joined with New Zealand 

 when it was itself divided into two halves, of which the 

 western had only just received its stock of marsupials. 

 This latter is Mr Wallace's view. There is no doubt that 

 the fauna of New Zealand is one of the greatest puzzles 

 that distribution has to offer. 



Some peculiarities of island animals. 



Having already dealt with peculiarities of island faunas 

 as regards the classes of animals which inhabit them, the 

 absence of some kinds of animals and the presence of 



