190 HORN EXPEDITION — SUMMARY. 



Australia, liut not jiassiiit^ across tlio Dividing Range into the Sdutli-east or across 

 to Tasmania. Tlie family lias evidently come down fi'om the north-east and one 

 species has been modified in accordance with the dry, arid nature of the interior, 

 the others being characteristic of the dense, fertile scrubs of the north-east. 



The family Paradiseida- is one, tlie mend>ers of whicli evidently wandered in 

 from their home in the Papuan land and are now especially cliaracteristic of tlie 

 noith and north-east. r)iie species of P)0wer bird {Chlajiiydodcra iniclialis) lias 

 passed across to the west and another (C ,i:;i/f/a/a) ha.s accustomed itself to the dry 

 interior. 



Just as with the ]\legapodii(he and Paradiseid;e the north-east is the central 

 liome of the e.xisting struthious birds, though fossil remains in the internal area 

 show that the same period which was characterised by the develoiiment of the 

 large Diprotodonts was also the age of large struthious birds now extinct. At- the 

 present day the north-east has both Dromaius and Casuarius, while Dromaius is 

 spi-ead over the east of the continent with one species, D. irroratiis, characteristic 

 of the western and perliaps north-western side. 



The interior and west is mainly distinguished by the absence of many genera 

 confined to tlu^ eastern and southeastern coastal districts, amongst which one f)f 

 the most prominent is the lyre bii'd (Menura) which does not extend far north 

 into Queensland, and with its three species may l)e regarded as belonging e.specially 

 to the south-eastern fauna. As absentees from the large western area may also be 

 notei] genera such Dacdo, which is in the main a northern foi-m, out of the five 

 species oidy one coming as far south as Victoi'ia,, Alcyone, Cis/iro/a, Pi>c/'/ii/a, 

 Geflciclila, P/ii/c/iioii, Pfi/iiiopi/s, etc.; othei- genera such as J'odari^ns wliich is in the 

 main an eastern and northern one, Graiicahis, Collyriocificia, Gcrygoiic, Scii'i-oi-nis, 

 Zosfcrops, being but pooily represented. 



The genus Amaurodryas is confined to the south-eastern corner of the 

 continent, including Tasmania,, while othei' genera such as Amytis and Acanthiza 

 range widely over the interior, east and south but do not extend \y\\() the north- 

 east. 



Lacertilia. — In regard to Lacertilia it is possible that some of the Australian 

 genera were modified during the early time when the west and east were separated. 

 At the ju'e.sent day there aie twenty-two genera endemic in Australia, and thirteen 

 exotic to Australia,. Amongst the la,tter GyDinodactvIus is widely distributed over 

 the world, /y/)7/(^(/r?r/;7//s' occurs in Tropical America, Africa and the Mediterranean 



