368 



BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



Group on the east, as well as the most northerly portion of Australia, 

 including the York Peninsula, and probably the whole northern coast 

 region, or that portion of Australia north of the Southern Tropic, except 

 the elevated arid interior. Of the twenty-seven genera (exclusive of 

 Ghiroptera and marine species) represented in the Papuan Province, ten 

 are not found elsewhere in the Australian Eealm. Three of these {Sns, 

 Sorex, found only in the Moluccas, and Mus) have a wide In do- African 

 range ; four ( JJromys, Bendrolagus, Dorcopsis, and Myoectis) are found 

 only in New Guinea and the Aru Islands ; and one [Dactylospila) in the 

 Aru Islands and the York Peninsula. 



The seventeen remaining genera belong more properly to the Aus- 

 tralian Province, or perhaps to Australia at large. Many of them, while 

 numerous in species, have here (like Halmaturus, AntecMnus, Podabrus, 

 Mus, Hwpalotis, etc.) only straggling representatives, but are numerously 

 represented in the temperate region to the southward. The distribution 

 of the genera is approximately indicated in the subjoined table. 



Genera of the Papuan Province, 



fNoTE. — The New Guinea representatives of the genera Mapalotis, Phalangista, and Tachyglossus have 

 recently been separated from their Australian afflnes as distinct subgenera. Bahirusa is also re- 

 ported from Bouru, but as probably introduced from Celebes.] 



Summary. 



Total number of genera 27 



Restricted to the region (including, however, two Indo-African genera) 10 



Represented in New Guinea 13 



Ranging also over the Australian Region 16 



Restricted to New Guinea and neighboring islands (exclusive of two Indo-African 



genera) 4 



Common to only New Guinea aud North Australia 4 



Genera properly belonging to the Australian Region, but sparingly represented in 



the Papuan Region 10 



Distinctively characteristic of the Papuan Region, about 15 



Australian Province, — The Australian Province, embracing Tasmania 



and all of Australia south of about the southern 'isotherm of 70° F., 



