362 EIGHTH PACIFIC SCIENCE CONGRESS 



Perhaps because I know my own region best I find most fault with 

 the East Austrahan-South West Pacific section of the scheme. For in- 

 stance, No. 12, the "Queensland Region" has been subdivided to the 

 satisfaction of Austro-Neozelanic workers on the basis of systematic 

 studies in mollusca, echinoderma and algae, with a recent endorsement 

 from the ecologists (Bennett & Pope, 1953). 



There is general recognition of the Peronian warm-temperate prov- 

 ince for New South Wales and the Solanderian tropical province for 

 Queensland to Cape York. It may be noted, however, that Whitley 

 (1932) restricted the Solanderian to the Great Barrier Reef and added 

 a new province, the Banksian, for coastal Queensland. A further sub- 

 division of Schilders' "Queensland Region", the Phillipian has been 

 advocated for Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands by Whitley (1932) . 



No. 13, the "Melanesian Region", should surely include Fiji which 

 has a similar continental fauna to that of the Solomon Islands and New 

 Caledonia. The latter incidentally was segregated as a special province, 

 the Montrouzierian, by Whitley (1932). 



On molluscan evidence there seems to be no need to recognise more 

 than one province to cover the Schilders' three South West Pacific "Re- 

 gions", the Samoan, Oceanic and Polynesian. 



I am unable to assess the value of the "Micronesian Region" but 

 undoubtedly the "Hawaiian Region" is a good one. Although most 

 of the widespread Indo-W'est Pacific coral fauna is represented in the 

 Hawaiian group there is a relatively high percentage of endemic or- 

 ganisms. The "Oceanic Region" should certainly disappear since its 

 chief characteristic is the almost total absence of endemic species. 



References 



Bennett, I. and E. C. Pope, 1953. Inteitidal Zonation of the Exposed 

 Rocky Shores of Victoria, together with a Rearrangement of the Bio- 

 geographic Provinces of Temperate Australian Shores. Austr. Journ. 

 Marine & Freshiuater Research, 4 (1) pp. 105-159. 



Ekman, Sven", 1953. Zoogeogi-aphy of the Sea. Sidgwick & J,ackson Ltd. 

 London. 



SCHILDER, F. A. iand M. Schilder, 1938-39. Prodrome of a Monograph on 

 living Cypraedae. Proc. Mcdac. Soc. London, 23 (3-4) pp. 119-231. 



Stevenson, T. A., 1948. The Constitution of the Intertidal Fauna and Flora 

 of South Africa. Ann. Natal Mus., 11 (2) pp. 207-324.- 



Whitley, G. P., 1932. Marine Zoogeographical Regions of Australia. The 

 Aiistr. Naturalist, 8, pp. 166-167. 



