444 AKKUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1912. 



According to Ortmann, first Rtitimeyer definitely proposed radia- 

 tion from Antarctica as the solution of the problem. (Riitimeyer, 

 Ueber die Herkunft iinserer Thierwelt, 1867, p. 15.) 



Our knowledge of this subject was much advanced by Dr. H. O, 

 Forbes. (Forbes, Roy. Geogr. Soc. Suppl. Papers, iii, 1893.) Start- 

 ing from the fossil avifauna of the Chatham Islands, he reviewed the 

 community of southern faunas and interpreted it by antarctic dis- 

 tribution. As the means of dispersal he mapped a vast continent 

 stretching continuously from Madagascar to South America and Fiji 

 during the "northern glacial epoch." 



It was suggested by the present writer that a far smaller area of 

 continental land, of an earher date and of unstable form, was indicated 

 by its surviving refugees (Hedley, Proc. Roy. Soc. N. S. Wales, vol. 

 29, 1896, p. 278), and that the last Antarctic phase as reflected by 

 these might be expressed in arms reaching on one side to Tasmania, 

 on the other to Cape Horn, while previous phases may have been 

 represented by other rays extending to New Zealand, Madagascar, 

 Ceylon, and perhaps South Africa. 



A study of terrestrial and fluviatile mollusca induced Ancey to 

 subscribe to these suggestions. (C. F, Ancey, Journ. de Conch., 

 vol. 49, 1901, p. 12.) 



Dr. Ortmann, wliile investigating the South American Tertiary 

 invertebrates, accepted my amendments to Forbes's proposition. 

 To a clear exposition of the subject he added a map and biblio- 

 graphy. (Report Princeton University Expedition to Patagonia, 

 vol. 4, pt. 2, 1902, pp. 310-324.) 



The distribution of southern earthworms was discussed by Prof. 

 W. B. Benham. (Proc. Austr. Assoc. Adv. Sci. 1902, pp. 319-343.) 

 In his opinion the AcanthodriHds, a primitive group, originated in 

 New Zealand and spread by way of Antarctica to South America. 

 He emphasized the fact that the union they indicated between 

 Antarctica and New Zealand was not synchronous with the Austra- 

 lian connection. 



Examining the mammalian fauna A. Gaudry considered that 

 unless Tertiary Patagonia was united to Antarctica its paleonto- 

 logical history would be incomprehensible. (Compt. Rend., vol. 141, 

 1905, p. 806.) 



From a study of the fresh-water Crustacea of Tasmania, Mr. 

 Geofl'rey Smith concludes that certain elements of this fauna "reached 

 their present range by means of an Antarctic connection between the 

 southernmost projections of Australia, South America, and New 

 Zealand." (Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond., ser. 2, Zool., vol. 9, 1909, 

 p. 67.) His analysis revealed the presence in Tasmania of another 

 element which he derived from the northern heinisphere and which 



