THE DISTRIBUTION OF AUSTRALIAN LAND 

 BIRDS (i). (Pl. VIL) 



By Robert Hall, C.M.Z.S., Col. M.B.O.U. 



(Read 8th August, 1910.) 



Previously (2) I indicated the Geographical Distribu- 

 tion of Passerine Birds in Australia, and what appeared 

 to me to be the directions of their expansion over the 

 Continent. 



The numerals (i to 9) were placed upon those por- 

 tions of the map which I considered to be the natural 

 avifaunal areas. Had I then realised the order in which 

 they spread over the Continent I should have placed i 

 where 8 is, 2 where i is, and 8 where 7 is now, and so on, 

 for convenience sake. 



At that time, when dealing with the Passeres alone, 

 the area 2 was strongest in species and area 3 in genera. 



I expressed the opinion that the Passerine birds of 

 area 2 had their origin in the old Papuan sub-region, and 

 that the greater part of the remaining Passerine birds of 

 Australia was derived from this area, travelling along 

 three routes — from the N.E. to the W., from the N.E. to 

 the S.E., and from the S.E. to the S.W. of the Continent 

 (3). The present-day parrots do not lend themselves to 

 any of these lines of expansion, a recent evolutionary 

 centre appearing to have been in area 7. Taking for 

 example the large genus, Neophema, we find the line 

 2, I, 8 unrepresented, and with only a single species in 

 area 9, as the tip of the western wing. 



(i) Not including the migratory Charadriformes and the 

 swimming birds, and referring only to the Australian continent 

 and Tasmania. 



(2) Key, Bds. Austr. (1906). 



(3) PI. vii., indicating lines of expansion. 



