30 The Geographical Distribution of Birds 



pointed out that while it is now restricted, if it is considered with relation to its 

 dependent islands Norfolk, Lord Howe's, and Kermadec Islands on the 

 north, Chatham Islands on the east, and Auckland, Macquarie, and Antipodes 

 groups on the south ->- which were once undoubtedly a part of it, it is seen that 

 the area is but little short of that of Australia. This New Zealand area was set 

 off from Australia by subsidence at a remote period, geologically speaking, and 

 has apparently remained continuously separated. As might be supposed, this 

 early separation and continuous isolation has resulted in developing or per- 

 petuating some very remarkable life forms. It is, or rather was until recently, 

 the home of two perfectly distinct orders of birds, the Dinornithiformes, or Moas, 

 and their allies, embracing two families, some seven genera, and about thirty 

 nominal species, and the A pterygiformes, or Kiwis, of which there are six species. 



The Australian Region. This Region, says Newton, "has but little connec- 

 tion with New Zealand and is as trenchantly divided from the Indian, which 

 geographically, and possibly geologically, seems to be conterminous with it, by 

 the narrow but deep channel that separates the small islands of Bali and Lombok, 

 and will be found to determine the boundary between these two distinct Regions." 

 Starting with an imaginary line between these two islands, we may trace it north- 

 easterly, passing between Borneo and Celebes, and between the Philippines and 

 the Pele w group. Thence the line proceeds northward to the vicinity of the Tropic 

 of Cancer, and then eastward somewhat indefinitely so as to include the Hawaiian 

 Islands, though these are perhaps more North American, but to include all of 

 which is commonly called Polynesia, and return so as to encompass the New 

 Caledonian Islands and of course Australia proper as well as Tasmania. 



Without going as extensively into the subject as is really warranted, it may be 

 stated that the Australian Region is the exclusive home of the order Casuarii- 

 formes, comprising the Cassowaries and Emeus, the superfamily Pseudoscines, 

 which embraces the families Menuridce (Lyre-birds) and AtrichornithidcB (Scrub- 

 birds), and the families Rhinochetid(B(Ka,gu\ Didunculida (Tooth-billed Pigeons), 

 Loriidce (Lories), ParadiseidcE (Paradise-birds), and Ptilonorhynchidce (Bower- 

 birds). In addition to these the following families are almost peculiar: Meli- 

 phagida (Honey-suckers), Campephagida (Cuckoo Shrikes), Artamida (Wood- 

 Swallows), CacatuidcB (Cockatoos), and Megapodidce (Mound-builders). As 

 it is oftentimes nearly or quite as important to note the groups that are wanting 

 in an area as it is to determine those which are present, it may be noted that the 

 Australian Region lacks the families Vulturidce, (Vultures), Phasianidce (Pheas- 

 ants), and PycnonotidcB (Bulbuls), to which should perhaps be added iheFringilli- 

 d<z (True Finches), though the exact relationship of the so-called Australian 

 Finches can hardly be considered as settled. The Picidce (Woodpeckers) are 

 practically absent, as hardly half a dozen species cross the line into Lombok, 

 Celebes, or the Moluccas, but do not occur elsewhere. 



The Neotropical Region. The present Region comprises the whole continent 

 of South America as well as Central America and the West Indies, extending as 

 far north as the southern line of the Holarctic Region, which will be defined later. 

 Although there are no life forms in common between the two last-mentioned 



