444 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [part hi. 



possess hardly anything, but what they might have received 

 l)y immigration over a wide extent of ocean. 



Ladrone, and Caroline Islands. — These extensive groups of 

 small islands are very imperfectly known, yet a considerable 

 number of birds have been obtained. They possess two 

 peculiar Polynesian genera, Tatarc and Sturnodes ; one peculiar 

 sub-genus, Psammathia (here included under Acrocephalas) ; 

 and ten of the typical Australian genera found in Polynesia, — 

 Lalage, IlonarcJia, Myiagra, Elii'pidura, Myzomela, Erythrura, 

 Artaiiivs, Phlogmnas, Ptilopvs, and llegapodius, as well as the 

 Papuan genus Pedes, and the Malayan Calornis ; — so that they 

 can be certainly placed in the sub-region. Genera M'hich do 

 not occur in the other Polynesian islands are, Acroccplialus, (s.g. 

 Psammathia) originally derived perhaps from the Philippines ; 

 and Cajyrimiilgns, a peculiar species, allied to one from Japan. 



A^ew Caledonia, and the JVcw Hebrides. — Although these islands 

 seem best placed with Polynesia, yet they form a transition to 

 Australia proper, and to the Papuan group. They possess 30 

 genera of land-birds, 18 of which are typical of the Australian 

 region ; but while 13 are also Polynesian, there are 5 which do 

 not pass further east. These are Acanthiza, P!o2}saUria, Glici- 

 'phila, Philemon, and lanthcenas. The peculiar Polynesian genus, 

 A'plonis, of wdiich three species inhabit New Caledonia, link it to 

 the other portions of the sub-region. The following are the 

 genera at present known from New Caledonia : — Turdus, Aean- 

 thiza, Campcphnga, Lalage, Myiagra, Mhipidura, Paehyce2')hala, 

 Eopscdtria, Corvus, Physocorax (s.g. of Corvus, allied to the jack- 

 daW'S), Gliejihila, Anthocha^ra, Philemon, Zosterops, Erythrura, 

 Aplonis, Artamns, Cueidns, Hedcyon, CoUocalia, Cyemoramp>hus, 

 Trichoglossus, Ptilojyus, Carpophaga, Maeropygia, lanthcenas, 

 Chalcopihaps, Haliastur, Accip)iter. The curious Rhinoehetus 

 jahat'us, forming the type of a distinct family of birds (Rhino- 

 chetidai), allied to the herons, is only known from New Cale- 

 donia. 



It thus appears, that not more than about 50 genera and 150 

 species of land-birds, are known from the vast number of islands 

 that are scattered over the Central T'acidc, and it is not probable 



