2 BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 



(3) that the confluence of the two was most apparent towards the 

 proximate portions of America and Asia. The truth that animals 

 in fact had, for the most part, originated in the regions of the earth 

 where they are now found, became incontrovertible ; and geologi 

 cal research demonstrated that they were preceded by forms which 

 were the ancestors of those now living on the soil. Numerous 

 zoologists from time to time took up the problem of the distribution 

 of animals as a special study. 



But it is not incumbent on us at present to enter into a discussion 

 of the steps in our knowledge of the geographical distribution of 

 animals. It will now be sufficient to glance at two of the latest and 

 rival propositions for the partition of the globe into those primary 

 zoogeographical divisions, which, in furtherance of an analogy seized 

 upon by the late Professor Agassiz, in his designation of a well 

 known portion of North America as the " Zoological island of New 

 England, ' ' may be figuratively called Zoological Continents. The 

 great divisions of this rank have been termed by many American 

 naturalists " realms," and by English writers " regions." 



Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace, in his thoughtful work on " The Geo 

 graphical Distribution of Animals,"* published in 1876, has recog 

 nized six primary zoogeographical divisions of the globe, which he 

 has named regions, and, accepting views current in England, has 

 designated and constituted as follows : 



I. Palsearctic region, with four sub-regions : 



1. North Europe. 



2. Mediterranean, or South Europe. 



3. Siberia. 



4. Manchuria, or Japan. 



II. Ethiopian region, with four sub-regions : 



1. East Africa. 



2. West Africa. 



3. South Africa. 



4. Madagascar. 



*Vol. i, pp. 8 1, 82. 



