396 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [part hi. 



to the region — with such remarkable developments as we have 

 indicated in the kingfishers and pigeons, place the Australian 

 region in the first rank for the variety, singularity, and interest 

 of its birds, and only second to South America as regards 

 numbers and beauty. 



Reptiles. — In Eeptiles the peculiarity of the main Australian 

 region is less marked, although the fauna is sufficiently distinct. 

 There is no family of snakes confined to the region, but many 

 peculiar genera of the families Pythoniclse and Elapidaa. About 

 two-thirds of the Australian snakes belong to the latter family, 

 and axe poisonous ; so that although the Crotalidse and Viperidre 

 are absent, there are perhaps a larger proportion of poisonous 

 to harmless snakes than in any other part of the world. Accord- 

 ing to Mr. Gerard Krefft the proportion varies considerably in the 

 different colonies. In Victoria, New South Wales, and Queens- 

 land the proportion is about two to one ; in West Australia 

 three to one ; and in South Australia six to one. In Tasmania 

 there are only 3 species and all are poisonous. The number 

 of species, as in other parts of the world, seems to increase 

 with temperature. The 3 in Tasmania have increased to 12 

 in Victoria, 15 in South Australia and the same in West 

 Australia ; 31 in New South Wales, and 42 in sub-tropical 

 Queensland. 



The lizards of Australia have lately been catalogued by Dr. 

 Gunther in the concluding part of the " Voyage of the Erebus 

 and Terror," issued in 1875. They belong to 8 families, 3 of 

 which are peculiar ; 57 genera of which 36 are peculiar ; and 

 about 140 species, all but 2 or 3 of which are peculiar. The 

 scinks and geckoes form the great bulk of the Australian 

 lizards, with a few Agamidse, Gymnopthalmidae, and Varanidse. 

 The three peculiar families are the Pygopodidre, Aprasiidse and 

 Lialidae; comprising only 4 genera and 7 species. The above 

 all belong to Australia proper. Those of the other sub-regions 

 are few in number and will be noticed under their respective 

 localities. They will perhaps bring up the number of genera to 

 70. West and South Australia seem to offer much peculiarity 

 in their lizards ; these districts possessing 12 peculiar genera, 



