BY CHARLES HEDLEY. 401 



no greater than from the latter to the groups to the westward, 

 and not to be compared to the spaces between New Caledonia and 

 Lord Howe Island or New Zealand, which have proved no obstacle 

 to the spread of the genus. Yet the Samoas possess a distinctive 

 oceanic raolluscan fauna comparable to that of Tahiti, while the 

 molluscan fauna of the Fijis is as distinctly continental."* My 

 scheme and nomenclature weie abstracted without acknowledg- 

 ment by the Rev. A. H. Cooke, f 



The I'eptilian fauna at once bears evidence of continental rank, 

 and of derivation from the Solomons. Boulenger has recorded 

 three species of frogs from Fiji, one of which, Cornufer dor sails, 

 recurs in the Solomons. E. R. Waite has published the occurrence 

 in Fiji of a blind snake, Typhlops aluensis, hitherto only known 

 from the Solomons.! 



T. Steel has described two land planarians from Fiji, Geoplana 

 trifasciata and Rliynchodemus scriptu8.% The genus Geoplana is 

 regarded as especially characteristic of continental areas. The 

 land molluscan genus Pupina, which also seems peculiar to the 

 continental region, finds its eastern limit in Fiji. 



The Coleoptera of Fiji impressed Fairmaire as of a continental 

 character. He draws a contrast between them and those of the 

 oceanic islands of Tahiti and Marquesas. || I am indebted to 

 Mr. J. J. Fletcher for a reference to this interesting article. 



Among marine animals I have drawn attention to JVautilus, 

 which inhabits Fiji, as confined to the coasts of the continental 

 area. It has not strayed beyond the borders of the Melanesian 

 Plateau, within which temperature limits its southern range to 

 the Isle of Pines. 



Glancing at the flora, it may be noted that W. B. Hemsley has 

 described a remarkable Sapotaceous genus, Chelo7iespermum, of 



* Hedley— Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. (2), vi. 1892, p. 336. 

 t Cooke— Camb. Nat. Hist. iii. 1895, p. 323. 

 t Wdite— Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. xxii. 1897, p. 685. 

 § Steel— Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. xxii. 1897, pp. 120-122, pi. vii., 

 figs. 9, 10. 



I L. Fairmaire— Ann. Soc. Eut. de France (6), ii. 1881, p. 241. 



