380 Wonders of the Bird World 



Lemuria, and New Zealand and Australia. If this were 

 true, and there is every possibility that Dr. Forbes' theory 

 is sound, we can understand the present isolation of the 

 Struthious Birds, which in ages past possessed a land- 

 passage to South America and the other countries men- 

 tioned above. Thus the presence of Moas in Madagascar and 

 New Zealand could be easily explained, and the likeness in 

 structure between the Passerine Birds of the Australian and 

 Neotropical Regions be accounted for. Confirmation of 

 the theory of a former land-connection between these dis- 

 tant parts of the earth is to hand in the presence of 

 Marsupials in the Australian and Neotropical Regions, 

 but a still more wonderful proof of the former connection 

 between the different faunae of the southern parts of the 

 globe, is afforded by the presence of identical genera of 

 fresh-water fishes in New Zealand and South America. 



Instances of co-relationship between the animals of 

 these different Zoological Regions could be multiplied, did 

 space but permit, but I trust that I have said enough to 

 impress the mind of the earnest student with the immense 

 amount of work which lies before the Ornithologist of 

 the present day. My lectures were designed with the 

 object of teaching this fact, and within this present publi- 

 cation I have tried to bring before my readers some of 

 the most interesting of the phenomena of bird-life, and I 

 hope that a few of them may be induced to take up the 

 serious study of the subject. I will conclude with one 

 word of warning. The study of Ornithology is a 

 delightful pastime, but in the year 1898 it is not child's 

 play ! 



