DISTRIBUTION IN SPACE 123 



includes the Plovers, Sandpipers, and Snipes 

 (Charadriidae), is the most cosmopolitan one of all, 

 divisible into at least eight sub-families, details 

 of the distribution of which are as follows. The 

 Oyster-catchers (Haematopodinae) are practically 

 cosmopolitan in their distribution ; the Typical 

 Plovers (Charadriinae) are the same, ranging over 

 the entire earth almost from pole to pole. Many 

 of the genera, however, are confined to certain 

 areas, and the distribution of many species is 

 considerably more restricted during the breeding 

 season than in winter. The Stilts and Avocets 

 (Himantopodinae), a small assemblage of species, 

 are almost cosmopolitan, the only exception being 

 high northern and high southern latitudes. The 

 Turnstones (Strepsilinae), numbering but a couple 

 of species, one almost cosmopolitan, the other 

 confined to the New World. The Phalaropes 

 (Phalaropinae) are restricted to the Northern 

 Hemisphere, chiefly to the arctic and sub-arctic 

 portions. The Wattled Lapwings (Lobivanellinae) 

 are distributed over the Oriental, Ethiopian, and 

 Australian Regions, including New Zealand ab- 

 normally, but not Oceania. The Semi-web-footed 

 Sandpipers (Totanin^e) are another widely dis- 

 ' persed group, but most abundantly distributed 

 over the arctic and sub-arctic portions of the 



