640 THE BIRDS OF LORD HOWE AND NORFOLK ISLANDS, 



SO rapid that unless regularly cleared the tracks soon become 

 obliterated. 



A glance at the chart compiled by Chas. Hedley, of the Aus- 

 tralian Museum,* shows that Lord Howe Island lies on the 

 extreme south-west, and Norfolk Island on the eastern extremity 

 of the " Limit of Continental Area," and the route of migration 

 of fauna from Antarctica is shown as passing through New 

 Zealand and Norfolk Island, with a lateral branch to Lord 

 Howe Island. So far as regards the avifauna breeding on the 

 two last-mentioned islands, of 42 species, 11 are Australian, 2 

 are New Zealand, and 9 are common to both; the remaining 20 

 species being peculiar. Only two birds are found breeding in 

 common in New Zealand and both Islands under review, viz.,. 

 Halcyon vagans and Hypotcenidia philippinensis. Porzana 

 plumhea and Poiyhyrio melanonotus breed both in New Zealand 

 and Norfolk Island, while the latter species is recorded as a casual 

 visitor to Lord Howe Island. There is, moreover, a marked 

 similarity between the species peculiar to each of the two Island 

 groups; one species (Aploiiis fuscus), not found elsewhere, is 

 common to both; and, in general, it may be said that the whole 

 avifauna of these islands is more distinctly Australian in 

 character, although the Wood Hen (Ocyd^'onius sylvestris) and 

 the extinct Notornis alba and Nestor pi^odioctus may be regarded 

 as of greater value in determining the original route of 

 emigration. 



In the following pages I have endeavoured to give a complete 

 list of all the birds recorded or observed as breeding in or visit- 

 ing these island-groups. The habitat is given for either or both 

 islands, as the case may be, and the species not known to have 

 bred at any time in the locality are described as "visitors only." 

 The habitat outside the groups under review is given in brackets, 

 the particulars being taken from Gregory Mathews' 'Hand-List.' 

 The species are arranged in the same order, and numbered as in 

 the Hand-List. The authors' vernacular names are ffiven, 



* Hedley, C, "'A Zoogeographic Scheme for the Mid- Pacific." Proc. 

 Linn. 8oc. N. 8. Wales, 1899, p.391. 



