142 'Thomas G. Sloane .• 



and Acanthodrilus amongst lower forms and the struthious birds 

 amongst vertebrata. (3) A series derived from the Austro-Malayan 

 region. ****** (4) A large and important series derived 

 from the south and indicating a former connection with South 

 America across Antarctic lands during a period not later than the 

 .Miocene." 



With regard to the Pacific element, Mr. Hedley's views require 

 attention. His paper, entitled " A Zoogeographic Scheme for the 

 Mid-Pacific," published in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society 

 of New South Wales, 1899, ends with the following sentences : — 

 " No sign of an American immigration can be traced in the Central 

 Pacific. Had the Trans-Pacific Jurassic Continent, advocated by 

 such writers as Hutton and Baur, any foundation in fact, then, it' 

 not terrestrial, at any rate, marine forms should now extend east- 

 wards from America along its former site." My view is that the 

 close relationship between the Carabidae of Australia and New- 

 Caledonia (half the genera of the New Caledonian Carabidae are 

 found in Australia), the presence in Australia of Cicindelidae 

 belonging the genera Megacephala and Rhysopleura (the nearest 

 relations of which are now found in South America), and, also, some 

 evident relationships which exist between some of the Carabidae of 

 Australia, New Zealand, and the Hawaiian Islands (the genus 

 Mecyclothorax is found in these three lands) require the ancient 

 Trans-Pacific continent for their explanation. 



For the four elements found in the Australian fauna by Spencer 

 and others I shall adopt the names New Holland, Pacific, Antarctic 

 and Austro-Malayan. All these names except New Holland are 

 in general use, but I have seen no satisfactory term for the element 

 for which the name New Holland is now proposed. It is Tate's 

 *' endemic " element, and is perhaps not quite the same as Hutton 's 

 "Australasian" element. The term endemic is objectionable, for 

 being an adjective in common use it cannot be given a restricted 

 and technical meaning without causing confusion. It is not easy to 

 choose such terms, and New Holland could perhaps be improved 

 upon, but, at least, it is distinctive, and having become obsolete its 

 assignment as a term to designate the primary element in the Aus- 

 tralian fauna may be allowed, at any rate till a better name is 

 proposed. 



I shall now briefly review the Cicindelidae and Carabidae to see 

 how the four elements of the Australian fauna appear in their case. 

 It will be convenient to take the most recently arrived elements first. 



