104 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



eating bats, or flying-foxes (Pteropida?), and the cosmopolitan Ves- 

 pertilionida3, distributed almost everywhere throughout the region. 

 The flying-foxes are, however, absent from both New Zealand and 

 the Sandwich Islands. The more important families of birds are 

 mainly such as have an extensive representation in the Australian 

 realm, or are held in common by this and the Oriental or Ethio- 

 pian realm. Among these are the caterpillar-eaters (Campephagi- 

 d&), flower-peckers (Dicaeidaa), weavers (Ploceidaa), and swallow- 

 shrikes (Artamidaa). With insignificant exceptions all the families 

 of birds that are wanting in the Australian region are likewise 

 wanting here ; in addition to which, several of the more representa- 

 tive families of Australian birds, as the birds-of -paradise, bower- 

 birds, Ifre-birds, cassowaries, cockatoos, and apteryxes, are also 

 wanting. On the other hand, the region contains three families 

 which are absolutely confined to it ; these are the dodo-pigeons 

 (Didunculida3), from the Samoan Islands, the Drepanida3, from the 

 Sandwich Islands, and the heron-like Rhinochetidse, from New 

 Caledonia. The mound-builders (Megapodida3) and honey-suck- 

 ers (Meliphagidae) have a very extensive distribution. The more 

 nearly cosmopolitan families include among others the thrushes, 

 warblers, crows, cuckoos, king-fishers, swallows, goat-suckers, swifts, 

 pigeons, falcons, owls, and herons. Most of the genera of Sand- 

 wich Island birds are peculiar; hence it might be considered 

 doubtful whether the tract inhabited by them should properly be 

 considered to constitute a part of the region under considera- 

 tion. 



The reptile-fauna is feebly developed. Lizards, principally 

 geckoes and scinks, range throughout the greater part of the 

 region, as do likewise a very limited number of serpents, which 

 are, however, absent from the more distant islands. The appear- 

 ance of a member of the American family of Iguanida3 (Brachylo- 

 phus) in the Feejee Islands is not a little surprising. Three species 

 of Cornufer (Ranidae) inhabit the Feejee Islands, and Bufo dialo- 

 phus apparently the Sandwich Islands, but otherwise the Amphibia 

 are almost wholly wanting. The fresh-water fishes are very limited 

 in number, and exhibit a remarkable sameness throughout, com- 

 prising principally such forms eels, atherines, mullets, gobies 

 as can readily accommodate themselves to brackish-water condi- 

 tions. A siluroid (Arius) is found in the Sandwich Jslands. 



