62 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



tropical character, the iiiildness of oar winters is accompanied by a constant 

 residence of many such species. 



Tn many of its animals, and still more in its vegetation and climate, Califor- 

 nia corresponds with the eastern shores of the Atlantic in the same parallels. 

 Morocco and Portugal, with part of Spain, would pres.-nt many interesting 

 points of resemblance, if we 1iad the means of making a complete comparison 

 of their fauna, while Syria and Turljey also furnish corresponding examples. 

 The Mediterranean Sea, which lies partly between the same degree^ of 'latitude, 

 has many molluscous animals considt^red identical with ours, but also many on 

 its southern shores of a more tropical character. 



The eastern shores of the Pacific, though connected with ours by the ocean, 

 correspond more nearly in climate with the eastern shores of the Atlantic, and 

 it may be supposed that the laud-fauna will also be Ibuud to agree more nearly 

 with that of our Atlantic States. The principal islands of Japan, viz : Niphon 

 and Jesso, occupy the degrees of latitude from 33° to 42°, but from their iso- 

 lated position have a milder climate in winter than the Atlantic States, and 

 their fauna, both marine and terrestrial, is much more tropical, though many 

 of the mollnsca are found also on our shores. Of the fauna of the correspond- 

 ing parts of the mainland little is known. Its distance from California is nearly 

 as great as that of western Europe. 



As instances of the parallel representation of the higher animals in Califor- 

 nia and about the Mediteranean, I may mention the Badger, Civet-cat, (Bas- 

 saris) Hares, Antelope, and also other .mammals represented by species now 

 living only in more eastern parts of Asia, such as the Spermophiles, Lagomys, 

 and Mountain Sheep. None of these occur in the Atlantic States north of 

 Lat. 32°, and all of them, except the second, are peculiar to dry, grassy plains 

 or lofty mountains. Among birds we have a species of Swift, a Water Ouzel, 

 Titmouse {Psaltriparu.<^), Grosbeak [Hespen'phona), Raven, Magpie, Pigeon 

 {Columba) , aW of which have near allies in Europe but not in the Atlantic 

 States in the same latitudes; except the Raven, which occurs rarely on the 

 New Jersey coast. Nearly all of these, also, are birds Irequenting mountains, 

 the third and fifth excepted. 



Other instances of parallel species, but less nearly allied to those of Europe, 

 or occasional visitors to the Atlantic States, will be noticed in the reports on 

 each class. These occur chiefly among those inhabiting mountains and plains; 

 also among those of the rocky seacoast ; while those of the fresh waters and for-, 

 ests are less numerous than in the Atlantic States. 



Some of our animals range farther north than on the Atlantic side, and a 

 larger proportion of the birds- are constant residents on account of the milder 



winters. 



Of the reptiles, the parallelism is more striking in comparing the orders than 

 the species. Thus we,' like Eurojie, have few Testudinata but numerous Sau- 

 RiA, which, in the southeastern part of California, much resemble those of north- 

 ern Africa. The Atlantic States have just the reverse of this, while they excel 

 us also in the number of Batrachia. All these differences are in accordance 



