The New Zealand Zoological Region

Abstract

IN a paper on “The Geography of Mammals” (Geographical Journal, vol. iii. p. 95, and vol. iv. p. 35, 1894), Mr. W. L. Sclater divides the land surface of the earth into three great divisions, Notogæa, Neogræa, and Arctogræa, and these are subdivided into six regions, the Australian region corresponding: with the division Notogræa. It seems to me, however, that had Mr. Sclater considered what is natural rather than what is convenient, he would have divided his Notogrea into two regions, separating the New Zealand area from that of Australia, for these two areas are essentially distinct from one another in all their great fundamental zoological characteristics. According; to Mr. Sclater, Prof. Huxley and Prof. Newton make the New Zealand area a primary zoological region (I have not seen the “Dictionary of Birds” or Huxley's paper). Mr. Sclater then says: “there is, no doubt, as has just been shown, a good deal to be said for this proposal; but, on the other hand, there are even more valid reasons for retaining New Zealand as a sub-region of the Australian region.” Mr. Sclater then states his “more valid regions,” which are three in number. The first is that as he is dealing with mammals only it would be absurd to give a small group of islands, which is almost entirely without terrestrial mammals, the rank of a primary region. Had Mr. Sclater therefore left the New Zealand area out of his considerations altogether, as was wisely-done by Mr. P. L. Sclater in his lecture “The Geographical Distribution of Mammals” (Manchester Science Lectures, No. 5,. Sixth Series, 1874), I should have been entirely in accordance with him, and there would have been no occasion for this paper.