as a whole. In cases in which birds are not what one would call 

 quite common to the areas, the numeral indicating the area is 

 bracketed. 



Briefly it may be stated that the stronghold of Australian Passeres 

 lies in area 3, and I will remark upon the distribution of this strong 

 order, because it practically covers the points of geographical interest 

 in the orders of our land birds. 



Area 1 . — It is most nearly allied to 2. 



Of 54 genera 120 species, there are 6 genera 44 species not repre- 

 sented in 2, 16 genera 84 species not in 7, 19 genera 65 species not 

 in 8. 



Genera absent from 2 are Struthidea and Tseniopygia ; absent in 7, 

 Oriolus, Pcecilodryas, Piezorhynchus, Chibia, Pitta ; absent from 8, 

 Oriolus, Smicrornis, Sericornis, Megalurus. Pachycephala simplex, 

 Cracticus argenteus, Climacteris melanonota, and six other species 

 are peculiar to this area. In order Fulicarise there is one genus 

 (Poliolimnas) not found elsewhere. 



Area 2. — Although not so strong in genera as 3 to the extent of 

 12 per cent., it has more species (12 per cent.) Of the 76 genera 

 174 species, there are 13 genera 82 species missing from 3, 27 genera 

 109 species not in 1, 30 genera 121 species not in 7. Area 7 recipro- 

 cates with 50 per cent, less genera common to 2 than are common 

 to 7 and 3. 



Genera absent in 3 — Craspedophora, Prionodura, Heteromyias, 

 Arses, Calornis [origin Papua, except in Prionodura (?)] , absent 

 in 1, Ptilorhis, Geocichla, Acanthiza, Meliphaga, Meliornis (all 

 present in 3) ; absent in 7, Cinnyris, Phony gama, Craspedophora, 

 Calornis (all absent in 3 also), Ptilorhis. 



It has 30 species and 6 genera peculiar to it, no other area having 

 more than one genus peculiar to it. Although 9 has half as many 

 species, it has no genus of its own (only one beyond the Passeres). 

 It would appear area 2 has been first populated and area 9 the 

 last, as further figures indicate. 



The peculiar genera are: — Craspedophora, Phonygama, Hetero- 

 myias, Scenopeeus, Cinnyris, and Calornis. 



Area 3. — Apparently it expands into 4 and 7, and slightly so into 

 2, though from the latter it has probably acquired originally a con- 

 siderable part of its avifauna. It is represented most strongly in 2 

 (76 genera 174 species), next in 4 (71 genera 121 species), and less so 

 in 7 (65 genera 126 species). The distribution of genera and species 

 from 3 to 2 is continued in a lesser degree from 2 to 1, and still more 

 so from 1 to 8, there largely terminating as the westerly expansion 

 along the northern route. Of the 83 genera and 153 species in 3, 

 16 genera and 53 species are wanting in 2, 15 genera and 47 species 

 are absent from 4, while 28 genera and 71 species are not in 7. The 

 number of genera (65) and species (126) in 7 show it — witn remarks 

 under 2 and 4 — to be less strongly related to 3 than are 2 and 4. 

 The genera of 3 — Cinclosoma, Gymnorhina, Acanthorhynchus, 

 Staganopleura, and Zonseginthus — are absent in 2, though present in 

 4, while Pseudogerygone, Pcecilodryas, Plectrorhynchus, Bathilda, 

 and Poephila are in 2 and absent in 4. The genera Eopsaltria, 

 Atrichia, Meliornis, Aelurcedus, and Piezorhynchus do not pass 

 into 7. 



