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Since the systematic study of tlie distribution of marine 

 animals was taken in hand by the late Prof. Edward Forbes, it 

 has been evident that the faunal regions based on the distribution 

 of terrestrial animals do not correspond with the marine faunal 

 reirions. Prof. Allman has defined a number of ree;ions to illus- 

 trate the distribution of the Hydroida (" Challenger " Rpt. Vol. 

 xxii. p. Iv.). The Australian Region is described as that area 

 lying between the 20th and 60th parallels of south latitude and 

 between the meridians of 90 degrees east and 170 degrees west 

 longitude and the East Indian Region, the area lying immediately 

 to the north of the Australian Region, between the same meridians 

 and extending northwards to the 30th degree of north latitude. 

 In considering the distribution, not only of the Hydroids or 

 Echinoderms, but of the marine fauna as a whole, it seems to me 

 necessary in order to obtain a more natural division that the 

 boundary between these two regions should be moved considerably 

 further south — say, to latitude 25° S., extending from the western 

 boundary of the region to the east coast of Australia, and thence 

 curvino; southwards so as to exclude Norfolk Island and the Ker- 

 madecs from the Australian Region, the marine fauna of these 

 islands being rather Polynesian or tropical in character than New 

 Zealandian. The dimensions of the East Indian Region thus 

 become considerably augmented, and when the marine fauna of 

 the Polynesian area becomes better known I suspect that it may be 

 found necessary to extend it still further by removing the eastern 

 boundary about forty degrees further eastward so as to include the 

 whole of the Polynesian Islands. I believe that the Australian 

 Region as defined above will pi-ove to be a very natural marine 

 faunal area of which New Zealand with its surrounding shallow 

 seas, i.e., the New Zealand Plateau* within this region, excluding 



* The New Zealand Plateau includes the whole area between New 

 Zealand and the otf-lyiiig islands to the south-east (Auckland, Campbell, 

 Antipodes and Chatham Islands), for although, on account of the faulty 

 soundings of former times, deep water was supposed to exist here, it has 

 been proved, by a line of soundings recently taken by Sir James Hector, 

 between the islands and from the Chathams to Lyttelton, that the water 

 is comparatively shallow. 



