LINXEAX SOCIETY OF LO^S^BOK. 8l 



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antarctic distribution. As the means of dispersal he mapped „ 

 vast continent stretching continuously from Madagascar to South 

 America and Fiji during the " northern glacial epoch," 



It was suggested by the present- writer tliat a far smaller area 

 of continental land, of an earlier date and of unstable form, was 

 indicated by its surviving refugees (Hedley, Proc. Eoy, Soc. 

 IS", S. Wales, xxix, 1896, p. 278); and that the last Antarctic 

 phase as reflected by these might be expressed in arms reaching 

 •on one side to Tasmania, on the other to Cape Horn, while 

 previous phases may have been represented by other rays 

 extending to ^^ew Zealand, Madagascar, Ceylon, and perhaps 

 South Africa, 



A study of terrestrial and fluviatile mollusca induced Ancey to 

 subscribe to these suggestions (C. F. Ancey, Journ, de Conch, 

 xlix. 1901, p, 12), 



Dr. Ortmann, while investigating the South American Tertiary 

 Invertebrates, accepted my amendments to Forbes's proposition. 

 To a clear exposition of the subject he added a map and biblio- 

 graphy (' Report Princeton University-Expedition to Patagonia ' iv. 

 pt, 2, 1902, pp. 310-32-1). 



The distribution of southern earthworms was discussed by 

 Prof. W. B. Benhara (Proc, Austr, Assoc. Adv. Sci. 1902, 

 pp. 319-343). In his opinion the Acanthodrilids, a primitive 

 group, originated in New Zealand and spread by way of Ant- 

 arctica to South America. He emphasised the fact that the 

 union they indicated between Antarctica and New Zealand was 

 not synchronous with the Australian connection. 



Examining the mammalian fauna A. Gaudry considered that 

 unless Tertiary Patagonia was united to Antarctica its palajonto- 

 logical history would be incomprehensible (Compt. Rend, vol cxli 

 1905, p. 806). 



From a study of the freshwater Crustacea of Tasmania, Mr. 

 Geoffrey Smith concludes that certain elements of this fauna 

 " reached their present range by means of an Antarctic connection 

 bet\\-een the southernmost projections of Australia, South America, 

 and New Zealand " (Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. Ser, 2. Zool, ix. 1909' 

 p. 67). His analysis revealed the presence in Tasmania of another 

 element which he derived from the northern hemisphere and 

 which he supposed to have travelled down the Andean chain and 

 crossed to Australasia by the Antarctic route. 



Summing up a biological examination of the southern islands 

 of New Zealand, Prof. C. Chilton concludes : " The evidence 

 pointing to former extensions of land from the Antarctic 

 continent northward, and to the warm climate that was enjoyed 

 by this continent in early Tertiary times, seems to offer a fairly 

 satisfactory explanation of the facts before us "(' Subanf arctic 

 Islands of New Zealand,' ii. 1909, p. 467). A full bibhography is 

 included in this article, 



LINN, soc, PROCEEDINGS, — SESSION 1911-1912. // 



