140 HORN EXPEDITION — SUMMARY. 



Tf we divide Australia into two parts, one includintj the coastal districts on 

 tlie north, east and south-east and the other includin<:;- the rest of the continent, 

 tiien we can rei^ard the Marsupial fauna of the Centre as an assenil)laii;o of species 

 belonf^iuff to those cliaracteristic of the second i-e^ion which have beconie adapted 

 to lif(^ in tlie more arid parts. 



Of the two families of the Monotremata only one — the Echidnida" — is repre- 

 sented. Tlie species is the connnon continental one. Echidna aciilcata var. fv/^ioi, 

 the ran^e of which, as in the Centre it is found from B.-iirow Spriiii;s in the 

 north to Charlotte Waters in the south, is now shown to extend over the whole 

 continent. 



Aves. — The birds represent 100 species, of which live are new. In addition 

 to these the most iriterestin£( niid important specimens are those of SpatJiopfcnis 

 ah\\andr(T, the Pi'ince.ss of Wales Parrakeet. This is closely allied to the i^enus 

 Polytelis, in which the species had previously been placed. Mr. North has placed 

 it in a .separate [,'enas characterized by the fact that in the adult male the thiid 

 primary feather is much elongated and terminates in a spatule. 



With regard to the dlstrilmtion of the species obtained Mr. North says : " The 

 majority of the birds collected range over the southern half of the Australian 

 continent from east to west, Init there is a slight preponderance of western forms. 

 Several noith-western species are now recorded for the first time from Central 

 Australia ; but it is worthy of note that no strictly northern species is represented 

 in the collection." 



Lacertilia. — The collection of Lacertilia is perhaps the most representative of 

 the series as it was sui^jtlemented by imjxirtant .idditions secured during tlie wet 

 season, when not only are .some of the rarer forms more plentiful, but others not 

 seen at all during the dry season can be obtained. As Messr.s. Lucas and Frost 

 point out* it contains four groups : — 



1. A series of widespread species. These include Del ma frascri, IJa/i's 

 biirtoni, A)uphibolurus barbatus, l^arain/s gfli//dii, Ei:;cniia ivltifi!, Iliiii/Iia lesuciirii. 



2. A series of western species. These include Aviphibolin-iis //iac//Iaf/is, A. 

 i>/ibricaf!is, A. reticiilaiiis, MolocJi /lorridus, Tynipanocryptis repha/its, Eger/n'a sfokesi, 

 Rhodona gert-ardii, /t*. bipcs, Ablcphariis greyi ; while Amp/a'boliiriis picliis, Tiliqiia 



* Zoolosfio.al Report, P.-irt II., p. 112. 



