448 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [parr mm. 
of land and sea by which the phenomena of animal distribution 
in the Pacific have been brought about. 
Reptiles of the Polynesian Sub-region—The researches of 
Mr. Darwin on Coral Islands, proved, that large areas in the 
Pacific Ocean have been recently subsiding; but the peculiar 
forms of life which they present, no less clearly indicate the 
former existence of some extensive lands. The total absence of 
Mammalia, however, shows either that these lands never formed 
part of the Australian or Papuan continents, or if they did, that 
they have been since subjected to such an amount of subsidence 
as to exterminate most of their higher terrestrial forms of life. 
It is a remarkable circumstance, that although Mammalia (except 
bats) are wanting, there are a considerable number of reptiles 
ranging over the whole sub-region. Lizards are the most 
numerous, five families and fourteen genera being represented, 
as follows :— . 
. Cryptoblepharus (Gymnopthalmide) Fiji Islands. 
1 
2. Ablepharus Fs All the islands. 
3. Lygosoma _...._ (Scincidze) ... Pelew Islands, New Caledonia. 
4, Mabouya ads * ... Samoa Islands. 
5. Euprepes 3 55 ... Pacific Islands. 
6. Dactyloperus ... (Geckotidz) ... Sandwich Islands. 
7. Doryura ... (Geckotide) ... Pacific Islands, 
8. Gehyra deg - ... Fiji Islands. 
9. Amydosaurus ... “5 ... Tahiti. 
10. Heteronota ... 3 ... Fiji Islands. 
ll. Correlophus ... es ... New Caledonia. 
12. Brachylophus ... (Iguanide) ... Fiji Islands. 
13. Lophura --- (Agamide) ... Pelew Islands. 
14. Chioroscartes ... 5 ... Fiji Islands. 
The first five are wide-spread genera, represented mostly by 
peculiar species; but sometimes the species themselves have a 
wide range, as in the case of Ablepharus pecilopleurus, which 
(according to Dr. Giinther) is found in Timor, Australia, New 
Caledonia, Savage Island (one of the Samoa group), and the 
Sandwich Islands! Gehyra and Heteronota are Australian 
genera; while Lophura has reached the Pelew Islands from the 
Moluccas. The remainder (printed in italics), are peculiar genera ; 
Brachylophus being especially interesting as an example of an 
