Hurron.—On the Geographical Relations of the N.Z. Fauna. 239 
as New Zealand, while the whole of Polynesia is far away to the north, I 
think the difference is not so great as might have been expected.* The 
distribution of the genus Ocydromus proves that land communication must 
once have existed between New Zealand, Lord Howe Island, and New 
Caledonia, but the absence of cockatoos, grass-paroquets, pigeons, night-jars, 
and finches, indicates that this connection did not extend to Australia. With 
the exception of Sphenwacus, which has very feeble powers of flight, all our 
Australian birds could have crossed over a strait of considerable width. The 
phenomena of the paroquets, starlings, and long-tailed cuckoo of Polynesia, 
being associated in New Zealand with the honey-eaters, grass-bird, and gold- 
cuckoo of Australia, indicate that New Zealand was connected with a tract 
of land intermediate to both, but perhaps not connected with either; at the 
same time the absence of the more tropical Polynesian birds is no evidence, 
that this tract of land did not extend into Polynesia, and in Zosterops lateralis, 
and Dendrocygna eytoni, both of which have appeared since Europeans came 
into the colony, we have positive evidence that our islands can even now be 
colonized from Australia by many kinds of birds, although 1,400 miles distant. 
It would also appear that this transfer of birds to New Zealand took place 
sufficiently long ago to allow of changes of generic value having taken place, 
while the Chatham and Auckland Islands have been isolated from New 
Zealand for a time sufficient only for changes of specific value. 
REPTILIA. 
The Reptiles of New Zealand are not numerous. We possess about eight 
species of lizards, four of which belong to widely spread genera of the family 
Scincidæ, but the species are all endemic. Three others belong to the 
Geckoide, and form a genus (Naultinus) which is found nowhere else. Of 
these one (N. pacificus) is said to be found in some of the Pacific Islands, but 
the other two are peculiar to New Zealand. Our eighth species, the curious 
tuatara (Sphenodon punctatum), which is now found only on a few rocky 
` islets in the Bay of Plenty, and near Tory Channel in Cook Strait, is placed 
by Dr. Günther in a separate order from all other lizards on account of the 
affinity that it shows to the crocodiles. This remarkable form has no 
copulatory organs, and has uncinate processes on its ribs like birds. It has 
also nearly twice as many abdominal as true ribs, which protect the abdomen 
when being dragged along the ground, for, like the crocodile, the hind legs are 
too weak to support the hinder parts of the body. Dr. Günther also suggests 
that they may use them for locomotion, as snakes do. It is also remarkable 
* The distribution of the Megapodide shows that Polynesia, Australia, the Indian 
Archipelago as far as the Strait of Lombok, North-west Borneo, and the Philippine 
Islands, were united before the spread of the Mammals. 
