PRESIDENT S ADDRESS — SECTION D. 



119 



(3.) That during the development of the polyprotodont 

 fauna Tasmania formed part of the continent and 

 was separated at all events before the full develop- 

 ment of the diprotodont fauna. 



The Polyprotodontia have altogether in the AustraUan 

 region, including Tasmania, 10 genera and 40 species. If 

 we take the percentage of these present in the different 

 colonies, we find the result to be as follows : — 



The Diprotodontio. have altogether in the Australian 

 region, including Tasmania, 25 genera and 89 species. If 

 we take, as before, the percentage of those present in the 

 different colonies we find the result to be as follows : — 



The above tables show, first of all, that speaking generally 

 the various portions of the Australian region contain a con- 

 siderably greater proportional part of the polyprotodont than 

 of the diprotodont fauna. Beyond this we note a very even 

 distribution of genera over different parts of the region with 

 the exception of the north-eastern, where the least percentage 

 is present. 



Supposing the forms to have entered from the north east 

 then the connection with Asia must have taken place over 



