282 



Hall, Ihc l'asi}iaiiiaii cduI Neio Zealand Groups. [i^iAm-i 



Hymcnohcinus, the Blue Duck {a) is ;l torrent Duck, and climbs 

 rocks with ease. It keeps to the Auckkmd Islands. Merganetta, 

 the Torrent Duck of the Andes {h), is a near relative of the Musk- 

 Duck {d), which is confined to the southern portion of Australia. 

 Salvadorina, in Waigiou {c), is the third member of the Mcrgan- 

 ettince [a, b, c). This is a puzzle in early distribution, New 

 Caledonia being at that time a prominent point in a land line. 

 Merganser, another Duck of Auckland Islands, has its nearest 

 relative in South America. Nyroca, the White-eyed Duck of 

 Tasmania and New Zealand, and Fidigula, the Black Teal of New 

 Zealand, are similar in habit and most retiring ways. Anas 

 SHperciliosa, the Black Duck of Tasmania and Grey Duck of New 

 Zealand, is distributed very widely — the Chatham (Map C, h), 

 Campbell [k), and Auckland Islands (/), New Zealand, Polynesia, 

 Java, Australia, and Tasmania. 



Sphenceacus, the Fern-Bird of New Zealand, is much like the 

 Tasmanian Megalurus (the Grass-Bird). Strangely so, it is dis- 

 tributed in South Africa (Map E, a, f) — a case of very old and 

 l)r()ken distribution. 



Megapodiiis, the Mound-builders, are not found in Tasmania 

 or southern Australia. M. prilchardi is said to have recently 

 been in the Kermadees (Map C, c'). According to Dr. Shufeldt 

 {Emu, July, p. 22, 1919), it is nearest to M. cumingi, the most 

 northerly Mound-builder (Philippine Islands). The Austrahan 

 species is 71/. ditpcrreyi. 



Meriila, the Blackbird, is naturalh' in neither Tasmania, Aus- 



Rlap E.— Dist 



antl Grass-Bird. 



