TASMANIA 147 



others to the open. The shore fauna has many 

 local races. The whole shore fauna is not so local. 

 Many species cross and recross the Bass Strait, one 

 small dottrel flying to Siberia to nest and return 

 each year. 



There are several interesting centres, e.g. the 

 Derwent estuary, (map 62 b.). This estuary opens 

 into the best of our bays for penguins, the smaller 

 petrels and albatrosses. It is the southern extrem- 

 ity of the Bassian sub-region, a part of the broken 

 chain along which the birds used to travel from 

 Victoria in their annual migration. 



Eastern and western island representation is 

 shown in m, n, map 62. This is owing to the 

 east being dry and open, and the west wet with 

 heavy rainfall forests. 



Tasmania is not a rich feeding ground, berries 

 being few, eucalypts not satisfying, and sand 

 beaches too clean. The animals actually here are 

 just as fully interesting and serve as compensation 

 for the lack of number. 



RELATIONSHIPS AND MIGRATIONS 

 (Plate 2, Fig. 36; PI. 1, Fig. 8; PI. 2, Fig. 61) 



Tasmanian birds are: 1. Asiatic, as visitors; 2. 

 Closely related to the Indian fauna; 3. Derived 

 from birds of the mainland, particularly that por- 

 tion which is east of Port Phillip. 



Forests largely determine the types of birds 

 occupied by them, e.g. the vast pine country in 



10 



