Faunal Subregions of Australia. 141 



In regard to the endemic portion, he says : — 



" I will divide the Australian Endemic Flora into three types. 



1. Euronotian, dominant in the south and east parts of the con- 

 tinent. 



2. Autochthonian, restricted to the south-west corner of West 

 Australia, and approximately coinciding with the rainfall limit of 

 twenty inches. 



3. Eremian, dominant in the dry region, which has its centre 

 in the Lake Eyre Basin." 



Towards the end of his address, he says briefly of the fauna — 

 " Not only in the Eremian Region, but in the others, the fauna of 

 each will exhibit, though perhaps in a less degree, similar relation- 

 ships to one another as the floras." 



Summing up with regard to the fauna of his Autochthonian and 

 Eremian Provinces, his words are as follows : — 



" The Autochthonian Province is without distinctive features. 

 other than specific. 



The Eremian Province has many specific, and some generic pecu- 

 liarities, but is essentially Australian." 



In the year 1896 Spencer reviewed the question of faunal sub- 

 regions for Australia in a masterly manner, and published a map 

 showing the results he arrived at from a careful study of the 

 distribution of the higher animals. In this map two of Tate's 

 botanical regions are adopted, viz., the Euronotian and the Ere- 

 mian; but, owing to Spencer's faunal sub-regions, in no case cor- 

 responding altogether with Tate's regions, new names are proposed 

 for the three faunal sub-regions of Australia, viz., Torresian, 

 Bassian and Eyrean sub-regions. The Torresian and Bassian sub- 

 regions are together the same as Tate's Euronotian region, which is 

 divided into two at the Clarence River ; the Eyrean sub-region 

 comprises Tate's Eremian and Autochthonian regions united to- 

 gether. 



Spencer briefly sums up the elements found in the fauna of Aus- 

 tralia. I shall quote his words : — 



" The present fauna may therefore be regarded as consisting of 

 some four elements which may be very briefly outlined as follows : — 

 (1) An older one derived from a land connection with Asia, the 

 constituents of which it is difficult to define, and which existed 

 partly in the western and partly in the eastern division when these 

 two were separated. ****** (2) A series derived from a con- 

 nection with a land area lying to the east of the continent (and 

 connected also with the Papuan region) represented by Microphyura 



