73 THE ORIGIN OF AUSTRALIA 
assuredly have not established themselves, even in the rare 
cases in which they have become “ escapees.” I fear this 
is a bruised reed. 
79. A point which will also appear in considering the 
distribution of our fauna is that if the true immigrant Asiatic 
plants are really of modern introduction, as compared with 
Oriental (tropical), we should expect not only to find them 
few in number, but gathered most richly about Cape York, 
and extending along the northern coast, and this is precisely 
what we do find. 
80. The consideration of other features of the flora, 
such as the strange stream of northern-hemisphere sub- 
arctic plants that has so fascinated botanists and 
geologists, and the traces of Antarctic, African and S. 
American forms, must be left for another place. 
X. SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF THE FAUNA. 
8i. It has already been pointed out that while the Flora 
of Australia has been, for the most part, derived from the 
universal Flora which covered the earth in Tertiary times, 
and that but a small portion has been derived directly by 
immigration from Asia, the Fauna has no connection what- 
ever with the geological history of Australia earlier than late 
Tertiary times. It now remains to clinch this argument 
with supplemental data. 
82. If this contention be true, then the present distribu- 
tion of the species should show evidence of their place of 
origin, much as the Asiatic portion of the Flora has been 
shown to do. 
83. No one has a wider personal knowledge of the range 
of Australian animals than my friend the venerable Director 
of the Brisbane Museum, Mr. De Vis, whose researches 
into the palaeontology of the Marsupialia are so well-known. 
He has no doubt upon the question, and unhesitatingly 
declares for N. Queensland as the entrance gate: so do I. 
84. Theoretically, on my view, we ought to find a very 
peculiar distribution. N. Queensland should be richest 
in species, and a rich stream, but of diminishing volume, 
should flow down the narrow area of ancient Australia- 
Orientalis from C. York to Tasmania. The broad land 
that was once Australia-Vera should show another, but less 
