CHAP. XIII. ] THE AUSTRALIAN REGION. 445 
that the number will be very largely increased. Some of the 
species, as the Hudynamis taitensis and Tatare longirostris, range 
over 40° of longitude, from the Fiji Islands to the Marquesas. In 
other genera, as Cyanoramphus and Piilopus, each, important 
island or group of islands, has its peculiar species. The connec- 
tion of all these islands with each other, on the one hand, and 
their close relation to the Australian region, on the other, are 
equally apparent ; but we have no sufficient materials for specu- 
lating with any success, on the long series of changes that have 
brought about their existing condition, as regards their peculiar 
forms of animal life. 
Sandwich Islands—This somewhat extensive group of large 
islands, is only known to contain 11 genera and 18 species of 
indigenous land-birds ; and even of this small number, two birds 
of prey are wide ranging species, which may well have reached the 
islands during their present isolated condition. These latter are, 
Strix delicatula, an owl spread over Australia and the Pacific ; 
and Aszo accipitrinus, a species which has reached the Galapagos 
from S. America, and thence perhaps the Sandwich Islands. Of 
the remaining 8 genera, one is a crow (Corvus hawaiensis), and 
another a fishing eagle (Pandion solitarius), of peculiar species ; 
leaving 7 genera, which are all (according to Mr. Sclater) peculiar. 
First we have Chasiempis, a genus of Muscicapide, containing 
two species (which may however belong to distinct genera) ; and 
as the entire family is unknown on the American continent 
these birds must almost certainly be allied to some of the 
numerous Muscicapine forms of the Australian region. Next 
we have the purely Australian family Meliphagide, represented 
by two genera,—Moho, an isolated form, and Chetoptila, a genus 
established by Mr. Sclater for a bird before classed in Hntomyza, 
an Australian group. The four remaining genera are believed 
by Mr. Sclater to belong to one group, the Drepanidide, altogether 
confined to the Sandwich Islands. Two of them, Drepanis and 
Hemignathus, with three species each, are undoubtedly allied ; 
the other two, Loxops and Psittirostra, have usually been classed 
as finches. The former seem to approach the Diczide ; and all 
resemble this group in their coloration. 
