206 Maciteay Memoriat Vouume. 
This inquiry has been largely promoted by the knowledge that the affinity of 
the land faunas, particularly in the classes of birds and gastropods, is rather with 
Polynesia and New Zealand than with Australia. 
Norfolk Island is situated about 600 miles due east from Port Jackson, and is 
about the same distance south from New Caledonia and north from New Zealand ; 
so that, from a geographic point of view, its terrestrial life might be expected to 
partake equally of the characteristics of the three regions—New Caledonia, New 
Zealand and New South Wales. Lord Howe Island is midway, or thereabouts, 
between Port Jackson and Norfolk Island; and because of its nearness to the 
continent the alliances of its fauna and flora might be expected to be largely if not 
wholly Australian. 
I].—Gerocrapuic Revations oF THE TERRESTRIAL FAUNAS. 
Mr. Wallace* considers Norfolk Island, as well as Lord Howe Island, to belong 
to the New Zealand region, chiefly on account of the presence of certain New Zealand 
genera of birds, which are incapable of long flights. 
Mr. A. Sidney Ollifft writes that—‘“ Among the Coleoptera of Norfolk Island, 
the most conspicuous genera—Lamprima, Chiroplatys, Melobasis and Toxeutes—are 
all characteristically Australian; and JZe¢7sopus, the only endemic genus, is certainly 
allied to Australian groups. In fact, the only typical New Zealand form is Xy/o¢e/es, 
which is represented by two closely allied species. The occurrence of Evzzcodes, a 
remarkable New Caledonian form, is particularly suggestive.” 
The evidence afforded by the land molluseca points to a New Zealand and 
Polynesian affinity. The land-snails of Lord Howe Island are all endemic, and 
“among the inoperculate group,” writes Mr. Hedley,{ “the auriculoid Placosty/us 
claims affinity with New Zealand and New Caledonia and utterly repudiates kinship 
with Australian life.” Among the operculate group, Omphalotropis, which is chietly 
Polynesian, is represented by one species each in Australia, Lord Howe Island, 
Norfolk Island and New Zealand; Reafa, which has one species in Lord Howe 
Island, is a small genus belonging to New Zealand (4 spp.) and Marquesas Island 
(3 spp.)- 
* «Geographical Distribution of Animals,” Vol. I. p. 453, 
+ “P.L.S.N.S.W.” Vol. II. 1887, p. 1002. 
+ ‘Records of the Australian Museum, N.S.W.” Vol. I. No. 7, 1891. 
