328 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 
genus is characteristically Australian. Of the 33 species 
recorded by Spencer, Victoria possesses 24; Queensland, 4; 
Tasmania, 5. 
It seams probable, or at any rate not by any means im- 
probable, that the worm is an alien in New Zealand, intro 
duced from Australia by man’s agency. 
Before leaving New Zealand, I must refer to Mr. Hedley’s 
‘“Melanesian Plateau,’ a land area which, from evidence 
provided by the distribution of certain operculated land- 
snails, is believed to have existed in the Mesozoic period, 
and to have included not only New Zealand, and the islands 
usually associated with it, but extended further northward, 
so as to embrace the Fiji Islands, Solomons, and New 
Hebrides; while, westward, the islands of New Caledonia, 
Norfolk, and Lord Howe also formed part of it. 
One very interesting genus of land-snails (Placostylus) 1s 
represented in all these islands, except the Kermadecs, 
Chathams, and the most southerly outliers. 
This “Melanesian Plateau”’ corresponds with, but is more 
extensive than. Forbes’ ‘‘ Antipodea,’’ which he proposed 
from certain facts in the distribution of birds; in that the 
latter ancient land area is supposed to have embraced the 
Kermadecs, but excluded the New Hebrides and Solomons. 
It will be convenient to further limit this term in refer- 
ring to the earthworms, and to- exclude therefrom the Fiji 
Islands, and probably also the Kermadecs, of whose earth- 
worms nothing is known. 
Whai does the earthworm fauna tell us in regard to this! 
Unfortunately, we have at present but scanty information ; 
but. so far as it goes, it indicates an early separation of Fiji, 
New Hebrides, and Solomons on the north from the rest of 
the ‘“‘ Antipodea ”” of Forbes, on the south. 
I have .already referred to the earthworms of most of the 
islands. 
The earthworms from Lord Howe Island do not appear 
to have been studied, though some have been coilected. 
From Norfolk Island we have only the facts already re- 
ferred to—a species of a European genus, and a species of 
an Australian genus. New Caledonia possesses New Zea- 
land genera; this points to separation of the island, pro 
bably in mid-Tertiary times. In addition, two species have 
been recorded from this island. which are very widely dis- 
tributed, Mudrilus eugenie and Pheretima heterocheta— 
aliens, imported by man. 4 
From Fiji three earthworms have been obtained, which 
indicate relations with New Guinea, and thence with 
