XXIV THE FIJIAN CONIFERS 305 



a configuration acquired in comparatively recent times, and one 

 that gives no idea of the character of the Mesozoic continent. 



Such, as I understand them, are the indications of the Fijian 

 Coniferae and particularly of Dammara. In the distribution of this 

 genus we have outlined an ancient, more or less continuous land 

 area which, with the exception of a few isolated points, disappeared 

 beneath the sea in Tertiary times to re-appear near the close of 

 that period in the form of a number of archipelagoes that were 

 largely built up by submarine eruptions, and probably altogether 

 mask the form of the original land-area. It may be remarked that 

 New Zealand, which largely shared in the Tertiary submergence, 

 especially in the Miocene age, is included in the range of the genus 

 Dammara, as well as in those of the genera Podocarpus and 

 Dacrydium. 



Suimnary. 



(i) The evidences of a mountain-flora in Tahiti, as indicated by 

 the non-endemic genera, though, as we would expect, of a scanty 

 nature when contrasted with Hawaii, are nevertheless of consider- 

 able interest. There is much kinship with the Hawaiian mountain- 

 flora, but it is mainly confined to genera from high southern 

 latitudes, such as Nertera, Coprosma, Cyathodes, and Astelia, 

 which are all dispersed by frugivorous birds. Amongst other 

 plants linking the Tahitian mountains with the region of the 

 Antarctic flora, and with New Zealand in particular, may be 

 mentioned Coriaria ruscifolia and the genus Weinmannia, 



(2) On account of their relatively low altitude the Fijian islands 

 do not present the conditions for an alpine flora. Traces, however, 

 of the Antarctic flora, or of the New Zealand flora, occur on 

 occasional mountain-tops, as is indicated by the occurrence of 

 species of Lagenophora, Coprosma, and Astelia. In Samoa 

 the mountain-flora is also scantily developed, as we might have 

 expected ; but here occurs the genus Vaccinium as well as a 

 widely-ranging species of the Antarctic flora, Nertera depressa. 



(3) The route by which some of the representatives of the flora 

 of high southern latitudes reached the mountains of the islands of 

 the tropical Pacific is directly indicated by the genus Coprosma to 

 have been from New Zealand by way of the Kermadec Islands. 



(4) In the distribution of plants possessing drupes or berries 

 that connect the tropical islands of the South Pacific with New 

 Zealand, it is highly probable that birds of the genus Porphyrio 



VOL. II X 



