CHAP. XIII.] THE AUSTRALIAN REGION. 443 



For llic purpose of zoological comparison, we may class them in 

 four main divisions. 1. The Ladrone and Caroline Islands ; 

 2. New Caledonia and the New Hebrides ; 3. The Fiji, Tonga, 

 and Samoa Islands ; 4. The Society, and jVIarquesas Islands. 

 The typical Polynesian fauna is most developed in the third 

 division ; and it will be well to describe this first, and then show 

 how the other islands diverge from it, and approximate other 

 sub-regions. 



Fiji, Totiga, and Samoa Islands. — The land-birds inhabiting 

 these islands belong to 41 genera, of which 17 are characteristic 

 of the Australian region, and 9 more peculiarly Polynesian. 

 The characteristic Australian genera are the following : Pefroka 

 (Sylviida?) ; Lalagc (CampephagidiX') ; Monarcha, Mijiagra, RMin- 

 dvra (jSTuscicapidte) ; Pacliycerpliala (Pachycephalidae) ; Redes 

 (Laniidn?) ; MijZomela, Ptilotis, Anthoclia^ra (MeliphagidaE;) ; Ama- 

 dina, Eytlirura, (Ploceida-) ; Artamus (Artamidte) ; Lorius (Tri- 

 choglossidte) ; Ptilopus, Pldogccnas (Columbid?e) ; Mega'podius 

 (Megapodiidai). 



The peculiar Polynesian genera are : — Tatarc, Lamprolia 

 (Sylviidje) ; Aplonis, Slurnodcs (Sturnidse) ; Todirawphus 

 (Alcedinidse) ; PgrMdopsis, Cyanoramphus, (Platycercida?) ; Cori- 

 piliilus (Trichoglossidae) ; Didunculus (Didunculidae). 



The wide- spread genera are Tnrdus, Zosterops, Hirundo, Hal- 

 cyon, CollucaJia, Evdynamis Cucidus, lanthoinas, Carpophaga, 

 Turtur, Haliaxtiis, Astur, Circns, Strix, Asio. The aquatic birds 

 are fifteen in number, all wide-spread species except one — a form 

 of moor-hen (Gallinulid;e), which has been constituted a new 

 genus Parcndiastcs. 



Society, and Marquesas Islands. — Here, the number of genera of 

 land-birds lias considerably diminished, amounting only to 16 

 in all. The cliaract-eristic Australian genera are 5 ; — MoJiarchi, 

 Anthochara, Trichoglossus, PtUopvs, and Phlogamas. The Poly- 

 nesian genera are 4 ; — Tatare, Todiraynphis, Cyanoramphus, 

 Corijyhilns, and one recently described genus, Serresiiis, an ex- 

 traordinary form of large fruit pigeon, here classed under Car- 

 p)oj)liaga. These remote groups have thus all the character of 

 Oceanic islands, cv(Mi as regards tlie rest of Polynesia, since they 



