Relations of the New-Zealand Fauna. 37 



to inhabit the islands, or at any rate is exceedingly rare 

 there. 



The Auckland Islands possess twelve birds, three or four 

 of which are endemic, the remainder all belonging to Xew 

 Zealand. The most remarkable facts are the occurrence of a 

 species of merganser [Mergas australifi), a genus found only 

 in high northern latitudes, and of a duck {Nesonetta auch- 

 landica) with veiy short Avings, belonging to a genus found 

 nowhere else. 



On Norfolk Island we know of twenty-six birds. Of these, 

 two [Ajylonis caledonicus and Platycercus novce-zelandue) are 

 found in New Zealand and Xew Caledonia, five others are 

 common to New Zealand and Australia, a species of Nestor 

 {N. jyi'oductus) used to inhabit Philip Island close by, and 

 the remainder show an affinity to Australia. 



Lord-Howe Island possesses only six land birds, two of 

 which [Charadrhis hicinctus and Ocydromus sylvestris) show 

 a connexion with Xew Zealand, while the rest show an affinity 

 to Australia. 



A review of the facts disclosed by a study of the distribution 

 of the Carinate bii'ds shows that, although the affinity is greater 

 with Australia than with any other place, there is yet a decided 

 leaning towards Polynesia ; and Avhen we remember that a 

 large portion of Australia lies in the same latitude as Xew 

 Zealand, while the whole of Polynesia is far away to the 

 north, I think the difference is not so great as might have 

 been expected *. The distribution of the genus Ocydromus 

 proves that land communication must once have existed 

 between Xew Zealand, Lord-Howe Island, and Xew Caledonia; 

 but the absence of cockatoos, grass-pen-oquets, pigeons, night- 

 jars, and finches indicates that this connexion did not extend 

 to Australia. With the exception of Sphenoeacus, which has 

 very feeble powers of flight, all our Australian birds could 

 have crossed over a strait of considerable width. The phe- 

 nomena of the peiToquets, starlings, and long-tailed cuckoo of 

 Polynesia being associated in Xew Zealand with the honey- 

 eaters, grass-bird, and gold cuckoo of Australia, indicate that 

 Xew Zealand was connected Avith a tract of land intermediate 

 to both, but perhaps not connected with either ; at the same 

 time the absence of the more trojjical Polynesian birds is no 

 evidence that this tract of land did nut extend into Polynesia ; 

 and in Zosterops lateralis and Dcndrocygna Eytoni^ both of 

 which have appeared since Em'opeans came into the colony, 



* Thf distribution of the Megapodidaj .sliows that Polraesia, Australia, 

 tiif Indian archipelaf^o aa tar as tlie Strait of Lombok. North-west Jioriieo. 

 aud thi' I'hilippiuf Islands were united before thef-pread of the mammal?, 



