PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 17 



bution of terrestrial vertebrates, and it will be premature to even 

 consider it till such animals have been found. 



Such are the "realms" or "regions" recognized by Messrs. 

 Wallace and Allen. 



But there still remain large extents of land and water which have 

 not been recognized as independent realms by either Messrs. Wal 

 lace or Allen, but which have been referred to a heterogeneous 

 Australian one, as a kind of refuge of the destitute. These we shall 

 consider as a sequel to the determination of the " realms," which 

 our inquiries and criticisms have naturally now led us to. 



In fine, we see reason for admitting nine primary divisions of 

 the earth's inland surface, characterized by major associations of 

 animals. Beginning with home, and proceeding to the successively 

 more differentiated realms, these are (i) the Anglogaean or North 

 American; (2,) the Eurygaean or Eurasian; (3,) the Indogsean ; 

 (4,) the Afrogaean ; (5,) the Dendrogaean or Tropical -American ; 

 (6,) the Amphigaean or Temperate South American ; (7,) the Aus- 

 trogaean or Australian ; (8,) the Ornithogaean, or New Zealand ; 

 and (9,) the Nesogaean or Polynesian. 



I. THE ANGLOG^AN OR ARCTAMERICAN REALM.* 



I. The North American or Nearctic Realm embraces North Amer 

 ica from its northern boundaries, where it approaches, on opposite 

 sides, the Eurasiatic realm, southward into Northern Mexico, pro 

 jecting into that country to a considerable distance along the exten 

 sion of the Rocky Mountains, and ceasing somewhere near the 

 southwestern boundary of the United States on the lowlands. It 

 has representatives of 26 families and about 250 species of mammals, 

 exclusive of the marine types; about 60 families and not far 

 from 800 species of birds (Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway) ; 25 

 families, and about 250 species of reptiles; 14 families and about 

 100 species of amphibians; 17 families and about 600 species of 



* Some synonyms of the realm names adopted are given at the commencement 

 of each paragraph. 



