( <issca) 
enable us to analyze their constituent elements, yet I am 
strongly of opinion that from my present point of view the 
Austro-Malayan sub-region must be attached to India and 
not to Australia, and in this case I am in accordance with 
the views of botanists. My knowledge of this sub-region 
is, however, too slight, and my collection entirely inadequate 
to illustrate it this evening, and I therefore propose to leave 
the question in abeyance for the present. 
We now arrive at a very critical point in the investigation, 
which is to see what is the relative value of the Australian 
fauna, as compared with those of other regions, and 
what is its position as a primary division. I must confess 
that Iam unable, from personal knowledge, to answer this 
question, as, after taking a general survey of the Australian 
Lepidoptera, I was inclined to say that, on their evidence 
alone, the Australian region could hardly be said to exist. 
But on applying to Mr. E. Meyrick, whose personal knowledge 
of the region is extensive, and whose critical accuracy in 
describing and classifying the Lepidoptera of Australia makes 
his opinion most valuable, I received the following remarks, 
which I quote in extenso, He writes as follows :— 
*‘Confining myself to the Lepidoptera, New Zealand 
‘and Australia cannot possibly be classed together. They 
‘“‘have hardly any species in common; the few they 
‘‘ have are undoubtedly either (1) recent immigrants from 
‘one to the other, or (2) insects of world-wide range, as 
‘* Heliothis armigera, or (8) artificially introduced. Their 
‘* genera are equally distinct ; no genus is prominent in both, 
‘‘ except such as are also prominent throughout all regions. 
‘« In fact, on a consideration of general affinity, New Zealand 
‘ig really much more related to England that to Australia. 
‘*(2) Australia is quite as distinct from the other continents 
** in Lepidoptera as it is inmammalsand plants. The follow- 
‘‘ing are some instances. A peculiar family of Pyralidina 
“(the Tineolide), consisting at present of four monotypic 
‘« genera, is confined to Australia (it is more ancient than any 
‘‘ Knglish family, being the ancestor of the Pterophoride) ; 
“this may be compared with the Monotremata, which consist 
‘* of three monotypic genera. 
