Vol. xix.i itai.i., The Eai^teru Palmxrctica and Australia. 8? 



suddenly (Ustroy all second l)roods of i^rds. Late spring snow- 

 storms are very destructive to bird-life in Siberia. 



The PaUearctic Region, with its sub-regions (Map I.) is 

 approximately marked {a) Arctic sub-region, {b) East Siberian 

 Province of the lun-asian sub-region, (c) Manchurian sub-region. 

 It is a land of (irouse and Pheasants. 



(i() Is a great desert of 45,000 square miles of marshes and 

 treeless rises, with a really terrible climate in winter. 

 It has its extinct mammoth animals just as the sand 

 centre of AustraUa has its, and both were more con- 

 genial. I believe it to be the only breeding area of the 

 Spoonl)ill Sandpiper [Enrynorhynchiis) ; is the home of 

 the Snowy Owl [Nyctca) in its timber and Snow Finch 

 on its seashore ; and many migratory birds. 

 {h) The East Siberian Province is largely European till Trans- 

 Baikalia is reached (Map IT, e). Then, owing to the 

 Yabloni Range, the Indo-Chinese birds work up them- 

 selves, tending to make another sub-region. At Lake 

 Baikal I saw Flamingoes {Phccnicopteriis) and our (ilossy 

 Ibis {Plegadis falcinellus), common to both regions. 

 There are numerous Woodpeckers (Picidcs). 

 (c) The Manchurian sub-region has many peculiar genera and 

 several eastern representatives of European birds — e.g., 

 Blue Pie of Spain {Cyanopica cooki) being practically the 

 same as the Manchurian Pie (C. cyana). Map IX., a' \" , 

 shows one of the cases of interrupted distribution. In the 

 same way in Australia we have eastern and western repre- 

 sentatives of a genus {h' b" Psophodes (Coachwhip-Bird), 

 also Atrichia) in which there are only two or three species, 

 with no other species or any member of that species in 

 the broad area between (Map IX.) Here the Rook, Jack- 

 daw, and Roller {Eiirystomiis) are eastern representatives. 

 The Roller has its representative in Australia. Many 

 of the genera have worked up from Indo-China. 

 In the Polar sub-region I had several small surprises. One 

 summer day, at i o'clock a.m., I was called by my interpreter to 

 observe a new bird. There was the daylight, broad, and without 

 the glare of the sun. The singing of birds in the willows was as 

 brisk as the most musical of days in Australia. This was in the 

 land of the midnight sun, with its yellow Iceland poppies in full 

 display. As a set-off to this glory the mosquitoes fairly boarded 

 the steamer, and only a Yarkut pilot could hold the bridge against 

 them. Swamps had matted grasses so thick and cushiony that 

 we were able to walk upon them, rising and falhng softly. 

 Myosotis was bright and widespread to the delta ; so was Fragaria 

 (strawberry). 



The birds of the river in the Siberian Province are mostly 

 Finches. Birches, pines, firs, cypresses, cedars, and willows offer 

 food or shelter. In Ma\- Yarkutsk is full of birds, while in June 



