260 Prof. S. F. Baird on the Distribution and 



the inhabitants of the islands are visitors from North America ; 

 but the summer fauna is very distinct. The islands nearest to 

 North and South America have of course an impress of the 

 characteristics of these continental areas respectively ; but as a 

 general law it may be stated that of the species of land birds 

 peculiar to the West Indies, exclusive of the diurnal Raptores 

 and Columbidse, a large proportion belong to genera found 

 equally in North and South America, as Vireo, Turdus, Mimus, 

 Polioptila, Dendroeca, Tyrannus, Myiarchus, Contopus, Myia- 

 destes, Progne, Petrochelidon, Icterus, Sturnella, Culaptes, &c. : 

 an almost equal proportion belong to genera peculiar to the 

 West Indies, and characterizing several islands, as Gymnoglaux, 

 Mimocichla, Spindalis, Phonipara, Tachornis, Loxigilla, Sauro- 

 thera, Blacicus, Todus^ , &c., or else more or less peculiar to one 

 island respectively, as Teretristis, Melopyrrha, Sec, to Cuba; 

 Siphonorhis, Polytmus, Glossiptila, Hyetornis, Laletes, &c., to 

 Jamaica; Dulus, &c., to Hayti. Where the species belong to 

 continental genera not represented in North America, they are 

 more generally of Mexican and Central American forms and 

 rarely of strictly South American. 



The following table of resident land birds of Cuba and Ja- 

 maica, exclusive of diurnal Raptores and Colwnbidce, although 

 approximately complete only, may serve to illustrate more fully 

 the preceding remarks : — 



Cuba. Jamaica. 



South American genera , If 



Central American and Mexican IJ 



South and Central American 2 3 



North and Central American 5 2 



North, Central, and South American 16 10 



West Indian 8 6 



Peculiar to the island 3 6 



Total 34 29 



The species of truly West Indian birds are remarkable for 

 their local distribution, comparatively few being found on more 

 than one of the larger islands ; and, what is still more remark- 



* Todus mexicanus of Lesson is a Porto-Rican species. 



t Nyctibius. J Phonipara. 



