FAUNA AND FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. 19 
represented by a cluster of twenty or more islands, on which, as 
I pointed out in 1872, the various species of moa were probably 
developed.* Since that time a third elevation has taken place, 
the proofs of which I must defer to another opportunity. These 
three elevations agree quite with the conclusions already arrived 
at by a study of the fauna and flora ; and we must suppose that 
it was during the upper jurassic or lower cretaceous period that 
New Zealand was joined to the South Pacific continent, while 
during part of the eocene it extended towards New Caledonia, 
and again in the pliocene towards the Kermadec Islands. 
Our general results then are that in early mesozoic times 
New Zealand, Eastern Australia, and India formed one biological 
region, land probably extending continuously from New Zea- 
land to New South Wales and Tasmania. At the close of the 
jurassic period the New Zealand Alps were upheaved, and the 
geosynclinal trough between New Zealand and Australia was 
formed. During the lower cretaceous period a large Pacific con- 
tinent extended from New Guinea to Chili, sending south from 
the neighbourhood of Fiji a peninsula that included New Zea- 
land. Nearly all the southern part of America was submerged. 
Western Australia and Eastern Australia formed two large 
islands lying at some distance from the contineut. This conti- 
nent supported dicotyledonous and other plants, insects, land- 
shells, frogs, a few lizards, and perhaps snakes and a few birds, 
but no mammals. In the upper cretaceous period New Zealand 
became separated and reduced to two small islands; the South 
Pacific continent divided in the middle between Samoa and the 
Society Islands, and—the eastern portion being elevated while 
the centre sank—it ultimately became what we know now as 
Chili, La Plata, and Patagonia. In the eocene period elevation 
commenced in our district; Eastern Australia was joined to 
New Guinea, which stretched through New Britain to the Solo- 
mon Islands. New Zealand was also upheaved and extended 
towards New Caledonia, but the two lands were divided by an 
arm of the sea. The mainland of New Guinea had by this time 
been invaded from the north by a large number of plants, birds, 
lizards, snakes, etc., which migrated south into Eastern Australia, 
and a few passed over the New Caledonia channel and reached 
New Zealand. But still no mammals. In the oligocene period 
New Zealand again gradually sank, carrying with it the sparse 
flora and fauna it had received, and in miocene times was re- 
duced to a cluster of islands; Eastern Australia all this time 
receiving constant additions to its fauna and flora through New 
Guinea. In the pliocene period elevation once more took place ; 
New Zealand extended towards the Kermadec Islands, and the 
continent of Australia was formed; after which subsidence 
again occurred in the New Zealand area. 
* Mr. Wallace agrees with this opinion, but in his ‘‘ Island Life ” says that it 
is a pure hypothesis, of which we have no independent proof; he not, as I suppose, 
being aware of the distribution of our miocene rocks, although I mentioned it in my 
paper. See Trans, N.Z. Inst., Vol. V., p. 253. 
