156 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS. 



400. The influence of climate, in the polar regions, acts 

 merely to induce a greater uniformity in the species of 

 animals. Thus the same animals inhabit the polar regions of 

 the three continents. The polar bear is the same in Europe, 

 Asia, and America, and so are also a great many birds. 

 In the temperate regions, on the contrary, the species 

 differ on each of the continents, but they still preserve the 

 same general features. The types are the same, but they 

 are represented by different species. In consequence of 

 these genera] resemblances, the first colonists of New 

 England erroneously applied the names of European 

 species to American animals. Similar differences are 

 observed as to regions of the same continent, within the 

 same parallels of latitude. The animals of Oregon and 

 of California are not the same as those of New England. 

 The difference, in certain respects, is even greater than 

 between the animals of New England and Europe, as the 

 researches of the naturalists of the United States Exploring 

 Expedition have proved. In like manner, the animals of 

 temperate Asia differ more from those of Europe than 

 they do from those of America. 



401. Under the torrid zone, the Animal Kingdom, as well 

 as the Vegetable, attains its highest development. The ani- 

 mals of the tropics are not only different from those of the 

 temperate zone, but, moreover, they present the greatest va- 

 riety among themselves. The most gracefully proportioned 

 forms are found by the side of others the most odd, decked 

 with every combination of the most brilliant coloring. At the 

 same time, the contrast between the animals of different 

 continents is more marked ; and in many respects, the ani- 

 mals of the different tropical faunas differ not less among 

 themselves than they do from those of the temperate or 

 frozen zones. Thus, the fauna of Brazil is quite as differ- 

 ent from that of Central Africa as it is from that of the Uni- 

 ted States. 



