236 JOURNAL OF SGIENOE. 



Paper. — (1] " On the ancient relations between New Zealand and 

 South America," by Dr. H. von Jhering, (of Eio Grande do Sul), com- 

 municated by Prof. Hutton. Abstract : — The. author points out that 

 Mr. Wallace in his geographical distribution of animals has not made 

 sufficient distinction between those groups of animals — such as birds 

 and mammals — whose living genera appear only in the tertiary era, 

 and the fishes, reptiles, &c, which are represented in the cretaceous, and 

 the land and fresh-water molluscs many of which were living during the 

 secondary or even the palaeozoic era. He thinks that the fresh-water 

 fauna in general gives us the most reliable guide to the knowledge of 

 the geography of our globe during palaeozoic and mesozoic times. He 

 then discusses the relations of the fresh-water fauna of South America, 

 as well as its geology, and arrives at the following conclusions : — 



A Pacific continent existed during the whole of the mesozoic era, 

 from which first a number of Polynesian Islands, then New Zealand, 

 and finally Australia and New Guinea became separated. 



South America was separated form North America from the creta- 

 ceous to the end of the pliocene period. A South American continent 

 has existed only since the oligocene period. At that time it consisted of 

 two parts united by the narrow isthmus of the Andes, which were 

 completely separated from one another before the oligocene. 



These two parts form Archiplata (the area occupied at present by 

 Chili, Argentina, Uruguay and South Brazil), and Archignyana (com- 

 prising the high plateau of Venezuela and Guyana). 



Each of these territories had its own fauna and flora which differed 

 from each other as much as those of Africa and North America do at 

 the present clay. 



Archignyana was united by land to Africa, a remnant of which 

 remains in St. Helena, whilst Archiplata extended to the south in a 

 South-Pacific-Antarctic continent which during the whole of mesozoic 

 times kept this area in communication with the Pacific continent. 



The theory of Wallace is to be rejected not only for South America 

 but also for Australia and Polynesia, for neither lizards nor land and 

 fresh-water shells can be transported across the sea. But we must not 

 forget that it was he who gave to zoogeography its modern solid basis, 

 its new methods of procedure by which progress may be made, as well 

 as its aims and its problems. 



LINNEAN SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Sydney, June 24th, 1891. — Professor Haswell, M.A., D.Sc, 

 President, in the chair. 



Papers.— (1) " Angophora Kino," by J. H. Maiden, E.C.S., F.L.S. 

 Kinos of this genus have not previously been described, although their 

 occurrence has long been known. The author has described those'of 

 A. intermedia and A. lanceolata, and given an account of their 

 composition. He also gives notes of those of other species. 



