Ikedale. — Kermadec /daiit/.s Avifauna. 81 



regiou must be negatived unless also New Caledonia be included in the New- 

 Zealand biological region. 



It has been constantly overlooked by most New Zealand writers that 

 the fauna and flora of New Caledonia are closely related to those of 

 New Zealand, and this factor has been entirely neglected when the disposi- 

 tion of these island faunulas has been under discussion. Hedley (Proc. 

 Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 1899, p. 402) clearly indicated this, and noted it was 

 simply lack of material that obscured its recognition by New Zealand 

 scientists. Oliver's conclusion that '"the natural arrangement is to keep the 

 Kermadec Islands separate from Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands " I fully 

 endorse, and the incorporation of the former in the New Zealand biological 

 region I advocate also, but only on consideration that the Kermadec Group 

 be always carefully noted as constituting a distinct province, which I would 

 call the " Kermadec province."' 



This province is well characterized by its strong Polynesian facies with 

 its Neozelanic basis. This has been fully shown by other writers in every 

 other branch that has been studied. Oliver's explanation of this com- 

 bination (p. 218) seems to me to te the most suitable. 



For Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands I would accept Hull's name of 

 " Phillipian " but would consider it as only of the rank of a province, 

 and note its attachment to the Australian region as an outlier of the New 

 Caledonian province. In this manner all the facts from every side will be 

 fully accounted for, and the anomalies present in every other disposition 

 that has yet been put forward dispensed with in a thoroughly scientific 

 manner.* 



The nomenclature used in the following list differs considerably from 

 that of previous writers, and therefore I am introducing the original refer- 

 ence in each case ; in addition, giving a quotation to Cheeseman's list, and 

 also the name used in Buller's Supplement. 



As regards the Procellariformes and Lariformes, I have taken full advan- 

 tage of the revision of these groups now appearing in Mathews's " Birds of 

 Australia," and also given explanatory notes for the changes thus made. 



* Since the preceding notes were drawn up I have come across a quotation from a 

 papar by W. L. Tower, entitled " An Investigation of Evohition in Chrysomelid Beetles 

 of the Genus Leptinotarsa," wherein the following extraordinary statement occurs : 

 " The geographical distribution of animals, or animal-geography, is usually considered 

 from one of two viewpoints, the static or the dynamic. Considered from the static 

 standpoint, the facts of distribution are taken and arranged according to some em- 

 pirically chosen standa,rd, and zones, subzones, or other unnatural areas of distribution 

 are established. The study of animal-distribution from this standpoint is a dead and 

 p;'ofitless pursuit." Inasmuch as it is accepted that the geological record is manifestly 

 impjrfect, it is most necessary to consider means indepjndent of geological data whereby 

 actual facts can be arranged. All " static " workers are aware of the great advantage 

 of " dynamic " methods, but are also painfully aware of the impossibility, through 

 lack of evidence, of correctly applying such. And " dynamic " methods improperly 

 use<l wDl lead to grievous errors, whereas " static " calculations easily lend themselves 

 to correction when the necessary "djoaamic '" data are forthcoming. I have here noted 

 this as both Oliver's pap.T and my notes preceding this are based on static data ; yet 

 I do not consider them valueless, though, as Oliver has noted, they would be vastly 

 imp.'oved were " dynamic "' facts po.ssible. At the present stage it would be quite " a 

 dead and profitless pursuit " to endeavour to apply " dynamic " methods to such problems 

 as are represented in the faunas of these islands, though by means of " static " data 

 we can make calculations such as Oliver has presente<l, and, moreover, such tabular 

 statements are fully worthy of record. 



