chap, xin.] THE AUSTRALIAN REGION. 445 



that the number will be very largely increased. Some of the 

 species, as the Eudynamis taitensis and Tatare longirostris, range 

 over 40° of longitude, from the Fiji Islands to the Marquesas. In 

 other genera, as Cyanorawphus and Ptilopus, each important 

 island or group of islands, has its peculiar species. The connec- 

 tion of all these islands with each other, on the one hand, and 

 their close relation to the Australian region, on the other, are 

 equally apparent ; but we have no sufficient materials for specu- 

 lating with any success, on the long series of changes that have 

 brought about their existing condition, as regards their peculiar 

 forms of animal life. 



Sandwich Islands. — This somewhat extensive group of large 

 islands, is only known to contain 11 genera and 18 species of 

 indigenous land-birds ; and even of this small number, two birds 

 of prey are wide ranging species, which may well have reached the 

 islands during their present isolated condition. These latter are, 

 Strix delicatula, an owl spread over Australia and the Pacific ; 

 and Asio accipitrinus, a species which has reached the Galapagos 

 from S. America, and thence perhaps the Sandwich Islands. Of 

 the remaining 8 genera, one is a crow (Corvus hawaiensis), and 

 another a fishing eagle {Pandion solitarius), of peculiar species ; 

 leaving 7 genera, which are all (according to Mr. Sclater) peculiar. 

 First we have Chasiempis, a genus of Muscicapidse, containing 

 two species (which may however belong to distinct genera) ; and 

 as the entire family is unknown on the American continent 

 these birds must almost certainly be allied to some of the 

 numerous Muscicapine forms of the Australian region. Next 

 we have the purely Australian family Meliphagidse, represented 

 by two genera, — Moho, an isolated form, and Chwtoptila, a genus 

 established by Mr. Sclater for a bird before classed in Entomyza, 

 an Australian group. The four remaining genera are believed 

 by Mr. Sclater to belong to one group, the Drepanididae, altogether 

 confined to the Sandwich Islands. Two of them, Drepanis and 

 Hcmignathus, with three species each, are undoubtedly allied ; 

 the other two, Loxops and Psitlirostra, have usually been classed 

 as finches. The former seem to approach the Dicoeidoe ; and all 

 resemble this group in their coloration. 



