GEOGRAPHICAL UNITY OF EASTERN' AUSTRALIA. 459 



The age of this grand movement has been assigned to the 

 very close of the Pliocene, both on account of the fossil 

 evidence, and on account of the striking analogies to be 

 found in the Ozarkian or Sierra n Period in Western North 



Areas associated with Eastern Australia.— New Guinea, 

 Gilolo, Australia and Tasmania are all connected by a 

 shallow sea less than 1,200 feet in depth, while Ceram, 

 Borneo, Celebes, Timor, Java, and Malayasia generally lie 

 on a shallow shelf separated from Australasia )>y a narrow- 

 sea varying from 1,200 feet to 12,000 feet in depth. If one 

 now considers the ocean area to the east of Australia, it 

 will be seen that several distinct lines which curve sympa- 

 thetically with the coast lino of Eastern Australia p.t-s 

 through New Guinea, New Caledonia, Fiji, New Zealand, 

 and other islands. In New Zealand itself one sees a rela- 

 tion to that of the south-eastern curve of Australia. These 

 island ourves have been discussed in recent literature by 

 Hedley 1 and Taylor." Oceanic deeps also parallel these 

 curves. The main point for our purpose is first, to notice 

 the connection of these curves to each other, and secondly 

 to ascertain their relations in rim.-, br-eaii*.' on such per- 

 ception depends in great measure the d«'t<Tinination of the 

 geographical distribution of animals and plants in Eastern 



From mechanical considerations it is at once evident that 



The first thii 

 uplifted mass i 



