142 THE KEA. 



not think the Kea or Kaka were ever numerous in the 

 Chatham Islands, as their remains are rare in comparison 

 with the other fossil avi-fauna." 



From the number of fossils alj-eady discovered, there seems 

 to have been a much larger avi-fauna on the islands than at 

 present. 



This is supported by a pamphlet written by Dr. Arthur 

 Dendy, (then Professor of Biology, Canterbury College), who 

 visited these islands in 1901. 



He says: — "All who have studied the question are agreed 

 that the fauna and flora of the Chatham Islands are simply 

 isolated detachments of those of New Zealand, although the 

 striking differences which we have had occasion to notice imply 

 a long period of isolation. This view of the case requires us to 

 believe that the islands, though now separated by 400 miles of 

 ■open ocean, were at one time either actually connected with the 

 New Zealand mainland, or, at any rate, much more nearly so 

 than at the present day, a belief which is strongly supported 

 by the fact that the sea between New Zealand and the 

 "Chathams is comparatively shallow, only from 500 to 1000 

 metres in depth, while further to the east it sinks at once to 

 4,500 metres (Diels). In the Upper Pliocene period it is 

 probable that the area of New Zealand was greatly extended 

 so as to embrace, for example, Chatham Islands in the east. 

 Lord Howe Island in the north-west, Auckland and Campbell 



Islands in the south This condition is supposed to 



have lasted on into the Pleistocene times, and to have been 

 followed by another depression, which left the islands very 

 much in their present condition. The former land connection 

 thus roughly sketched out, together with the ocean current 

 already referred to, would be quite sufficient to account for 

 the great resemblance between the fauna and flora of the 

 Chatham Islands and those of New Zealand." 



The geology of the islands seems to indicate that they 

 once formed part of the large area, as is shown by the presence 

 of schists and similar rocks, while the ^finding of limestone 

 ^eems to point to a depression at a later period. 



