Osteology of the Chatham Island Snipe. 695 



resident species of Snipe (Gallinago) is known from either 

 New Zealand or Australia — or^ for that matter, from India 

 (excluding high mountainous regions of the north) or the 

 Malay Archipelago, 



This allusion to the absence of Ccenocorypha from New 

 Zealand introduces us, however, to a very brief notice of the 

 geological and other evidence bearing on the question 

 whether the Chathams (and the other islands mentioned) 

 were or were not connected in Tertiary times with Australia 

 or New Zealand,, for it is obvious that this question is 

 one which bears on the past history of Ccsnocorypha, and 

 through that genus on the whole history of the Scolopacine 

 subfamily. 



Hutton (Index Faunae Novse Zeland.), after stating that 

 the Chathams consist of fossiliferous limestones (and clay 

 slates) of early Miocene age resting on a low platform of 

 ancient schistose rocks, mentions the presence of fresh-water 

 species of Galaxias * which are similar to those of New 

 Zealand and " which do not appear to go down to the sea." 

 On Pitt Island (one of the Chathams) there is a lizard closely 

 related to Lygosoma moko f of New Zealand. The Chathams 

 and Aucklauds have also small forest-birds, as well as slugs 

 and beetles, " none of which could cross over a sea-barrier." 

 Hutton concludes, therefore, that the Chathams and the 

 other neighbouring islands were once connected with Ne\7 

 Zealand, and derived the main part of their fauna overland. 

 He thinks that the number of endemic species and even 

 genera among the land-animals of all these islands proves that 

 they have been long separated, and altogether precludes the 

 idea of a comparatively recent Antarctic continent connected 

 with New Zealand. They also preclude the idea of a very 

 cold climate having existed in the Southern Hemisphere 

 since the islands were separated from New Zealand — that is, 

 since the Pliocene. 



Andrews {' Novitates Zoologicae,' vol. iii. 1896, pp. 73, 260) 

 believes that there is nothing in the present fauna of the 



* It is now known that the Galaxiidae breed in the sea. 

 t Lygosoma is a genus of wide distribution in the Pacific and else- 

 where and is obviously capable of transporting itself over sea. 



