DISTRIBUTION OF AI'STRALIAN FAUNA. 447 



pared with those of the rest of the world. I think I am right in 

 saying, for example, that certain peculiarities in the structure of 

 the tarsi — especially the absence of one or both of the daws — is 

 more frequent in the Coleoptera of Australia than in those of any 

 other region, so far as we know at present. And, again, the fauna 

 of one i^art of Australia has distinctive characters as compared 

 with that of other parts, so that a student fairly versed in the 

 subject could say, with extreme probabilit}" of being right (if he 

 were shown a collection of undescribed species), in what part 

 of the continent it must have been obtained. Thus the Erirhinini 

 are plentiful in southern Australia, but very rare in the northern 

 regions ; the Annphgnathi are plentiful in the east and rare 

 in the west; the Catasarci are almost confined to the west, and 

 so forth. But I do not think that, as yet, any attempt even has 

 been made to account for such phenomena — to decide why the 

 development, or the t:reatio7i, of animal life has eventuated in 

 one place in very different forms from those of another, or why in 

 one spot one type or family should predominate, and in another 

 another. And yet there must he a reason.* On no biological theory 

 that I have ever heard of is this kind of thing the result of mere 

 accident — haphazard — chance. The investigation of such matters 

 is, I take it, the scientific work of the future — perhaps of the 

 distant future ; there certainly seems to be nothing in it which it 

 is not easy to believe is within the bounds of scientific possibilities. 

 Now, a moment's reflection will show that for such an investigation 

 ever to reach a satisfactory result the first necessity is " facts." 

 Until we know with absolute certainty at least all the facts (relating 

 to the fauna of a considerable number of land areas) which even 

 now we perceive to be essential data, it will be waste of time to 

 ask the question. Evidently it is futile to inquire " Why is this as 

 it is?" until we know how it is. Well, then, let us think what the 

 facts are that we need to know. Probably they include contribu- 

 tions from every branch of science ; but I think the most obvious 

 necessity (on the very threshold of the investigation) is an accurate 

 catalogue of the species that are truly indigenous — autochthonous, 

 to use a strictly accurate expression — in a considerable number of 

 localities. 



There is a considerable proportion of the earth's surface in 

 which the construction of such a catalogue appears to be 

 impossible. In Europe, for example, and indeed in all regions 

 where any considerable civilisation has introdu.ced commerce and 

 travel, long before accurate scientific research was commenced, 

 so many artificial influences have been at work that the fauna has 

 become hopelessly complicated. Species have migrated; some 

 have been removed from homes in which local influences have 

 suppressed their indefinite reproduction to places where from 

 various causes those influences have no longer operated, and 

 their unchecked reproduction has enabled them to predominate to 



