MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 391 



tion of the faunas of this region is to be regarded as merely a pro- 

 visional one, to be perfected as the required data become known. 

 The distribution in summer of the birds of the United States, even of 

 that portion situated east of the Mississippi River, is still too little 

 known to afford even there entirely satisfactory data. The data are 

 tolerahly full only for the region embraced between the St. Lawrence 

 and the Upper Lakes on the north, and the Ohio River and Virginia 

 on 'the south. Much is also known, however, in regard to the summer 

 distribution of the birds in the other Atlantic States ; but in respect to 

 the whole region of the lower Mississippi and the Gulf States, the re- 

 corded facts bearing on this subject are lamentably few.* The iso- 

 thermal lines of even our best climatological charts are also obviously 

 more or less erroneous, and are nowhere laid down with sufficient detail 

 to meet the wants of the student of zoological geography. The follow- 

 ing lists of those species which by their presence or absence determine 

 the facies of the several faunae of the Eastern Province are hence not 

 only often incomplete, but will in some cases, doubtless, require more 

 or less modification as our knowledge of the subject increases.! The 

 facts at hand for the work herein attempted are, however, far more nu- 

 merous than would at first seem probable ; J and doubtless the general 

 conclusions reached in the following pages will be in the main substanti- 

 ated by future investigations. 



Beginning with Florida and passing northward, we meet with the 

 following ornithological Faunae : — 



I. Floridian Fauna. As stated in Part I (p. 164), that part of 

 Florida south of Lake George in the interior, and of Cape Canaveral 



* The importance of complete and carefully annotated lists of the birds of many- 

 localities in the South Atlantic and Gulf States, and in the Mississippi Valley, is hence 

 clearly manifest. Now that the necessity of a precise knowledge of the habitats of 

 animals is so generally recognized, it is to be hoped that every year will add something 

 to our knowledge in regard to these regions. 



t This is especially true in respect to the Floridian, Louisianian, and Carolinian 

 Faunae. Over this large area I have been unable to determine satisfactorily the exact 

 southern limit of the breeding range of any species. Their northern limit, however, is 

 readily approximately determined. 



J See the Appendix to Part V for a list of the special papers that have been con- 

 sulted in the present connection. In addition to these papers the specimens of birds in 

 the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology have been of great use, whilst 

 many additional facts have been gathered from correspondents and from other sources 

 not there indicated. 



