52 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



Furina, Vermicella (Ringed Snake), and Acanthophis (Death 

 Adder) ; half-a-dozen kinds of Gecko (of genera Gymnodactylus, 

 Phyllodactyhts, Diplodactylus, and Gehyrd) ; the snake-like 

 Lizards (Aprasia, Lialis) ; Amphibolurus pictus : Gould's Monitor 

 (Varanus gouldii); the Stump Tailed Lizard (Tracliysaun/s 

 rugosus), and Western Blue Tongued Lizard (Tiliqua occipitalis) 

 with a few smaller forms ; and lastly the assemblage of fishes of 

 the Murray basin, of the genera Oligorits, Ctenolates, Therapon, 

 Murrayia, Riverina, Copidoglanis and Chatoessus, known as 

 Murray Cod, Murray Perch, Murray Bream, Murray Cat- 

 tish, etc. 



While the number of species in Tasmania is always much 

 smaller than the number in southern Victoria in all the groups 

 except the Fish and perhaps the Mice, the two faunas present a 

 very similar facies. Thus every genus of Marsupial, Reptile, 

 Amphibian, and Fish which is represented in Tasmania, except 

 Thylacimts and Sarcophilus is met with in southern Victoria. 

 Thylacimts and Sarcophilus did live on the continent, but have 

 been exterminated by the Dingo. Even the Tasmanian species* 

 are in most cases identical with those of the adjacent portion of 

 Victoria. 



The fresh-water and forest forms are characteristically similar 

 in the two regions. The fish scarcely show more than varietal 

 differences. The common genera are Lales, Mtcrqperca, Girella, 

 Chrysophrys, Aphn'/is, Agonostoma, Gadopsis (Blackfish), Proto- 

 troctes (Yarra Herring), Galaxias (Mountain Trout), Anguilla 

 (Eel), and Mordacia and Geotria (Lampreys). Professor McCoy 

 pointed out in his Prodromus how absolutely distinct this as- 

 semblage is from that of the Murray basin. Mr. R. M. Johnston's 

 " Census of Tasmanian Fish " has enabled us to see how the fish 

 of Tasmania are almost identical with those of Southern Victoria. 

 If, as I have long believed, the Tasmanian Crinias are not separ- 

 able from the smooth Victorian species with tiny vomerine teeth, 

 then the resemblance of the amphibians of the two regions is as 

 close as that of the fish. Amongst the forest-frequenters the 

 mammals are most prominent and most important. The great 

 Grey Kangaroo, Forester par excellence, the Scrub Wallabies 



* See Professor Spencer's Address to the Biological Section of the A.A.A.S., Hobart, 

 1S92, for a detailed account of the Tasmanian Fauna. 



