240 GLACIAL ACTION IN AUSTRALASIA. 



northern parts of New Zealand has never since the Miocene been 

 as cold as that of the southern part at the present day. Indeed, a 

 large part of the present sub-tropical fauna and flora of New 

 Zealand was introduced from the north before the Miocene Period 

 and has flourished ever since ; and this would not have been possible 

 if there had been a great and general reduction in temperature in 

 the Pleistocene Period. 



Again, the islands lying south of New Zealand contain a large 

 number of endemic species of plants and some animals. For 

 example, ajyaYoquet f Cya7io7'hainphifs unicolnr J on Anti'podes Island, 

 a duck fHeronetta AticklandicaJ on Auckland Island, and a rail 

 {Rallus Macqu'iriensisJ on Macquarie Island. These facts prove 

 that the islands have been disconnected from New Zealand for a 

 very long period, and during that time they could not have been 

 covered by ice. 



Lastly, we have the local occurrence of some of the warmth- 

 loving plants and animals of the North Island in isolated places in 

 the South Island — such as the New Zealand palm f Areca rapidaj 

 at Akaroa, and several North Island shells in Stewart Island* — 

 which is hardly compatible with the occurrence of a former cold 

 epoch, but points to a gradually cooling climate. 



The biological evidence is, therefore, to the effect that the ocean 

 round >Jew Zealand has not been much colder than at present ever 

 :since the Miocene Period. 



Pro. Lin. Soc, N.S. Wales, vol. x., p. 338. 



