QUEENSLAND AND NEW CALEDONIA 



323 



ire the 

 genera 



(c) The Mclancslan Province includes those islands on wliich 

 the remarkable group Placostylus occurs, tlie metropolis of whose 

 distribution is New Caledonia. These islands are very possildy 

 the remains of what was once a much wider extent of land. 

 A single species of Phirostylus occurs both on Lord Howe's I. 

 and in the North T. of New Zealand, but this fact, while 

 highly interesting as indicating a possible former extension 

 of land in a south-easterly direction, is hardly sutiicient to bring 

 these islands within the province as now limited. The Solomon 

 Is., although c()ntaining Placostylus as far to the west as Faro 

 L, form, as has been already stated, a transitional district to the 

 Papuan province. 



JS^C'iv Caledonia.- — The chief features of the Mollusca 

 remarkable development of the helicoid carnivorous 

 Bltytida (30 sp.) and Diplompliedus (13 sp.), 

 and of Placostylus (45 sp.). There is a stray 

 Pa'puina, and a^ peculiar form Pseudopartula , 

 but Helix has almost entirely disappeared. 

 I'olynesian influence is represented by Micro- 

 cystis (3 sp.), the so-called Patula (13 sp., 

 many of which are prol)ably Cliaropa), Torna- 

 tellina (2 sp.), and Jlclicina. (20 sp.). Part id a 

 does not reach so far soutli, l)ut there are two 

 species of Janella. The recurrence of Mcl- 

 anopsis(ld sp.), al)sent from the wliole Oriental 

 region, is curious, and foiius another link 

 with New Zealand. The curious sinistral Liin- 

 naecc (Isido)'a), c(»nnnon with Australia and 

 New Zealand, is abundant. ^^' 



The New Hebrides link New Caled<jnia aiul tlie Solomons l)V 



Fig. 21.'). — Placostylus 

 caledonicus Pet., 

 New Caledonia. 



