CHAP. X.] THE PALZARCTIC REGION. 183 
ists that the Palearctic region could not be well characterised by 
its peculiar genera of birds. In Mr. Sclater’s celebrated paper 
already referred to, he remarks, “It cannot be denied that the 
ornithology of the Palearctic region is more easily characterised 
by what it has not than by what it has,” and this has been quite 
recently quoted by Mr. Allen, in his essay on the distribution 
of North American birds, as if it represented our present know: 
ledge of the subject. But, thanks to the labours of Dr. 
Jerdon, Mr. Swinhoe, Pére David and others, we have now 
learnt that a large number of birds included in the Indian 
list, are either mere winter emigrants from Central Asia, or only 
inhabit the higher ranges of the Himalayas, and thus really 
belong to the Palearctic region. The result is, that a host of 
genera are now seen to be either exclusively or characteristically 
Palearctic, and we have no further difficulty in giving positive 
ornithological characters to the region. In the tables appended 
to this chapter, all these truly Palearctic genera will be found 
printed in italics, with an indication of their distribution, which 
will sometimes be found more fully given under the respective 
families in the fourth part of this work. Referring to this table 
for details we shall here summarise the results. 
Of the Sylviide or warblers, no less than fourteen genera are 
either exclusively or characteristically Palearctic, of which 
Locustella, Sylvia, Curruca and Erithacus are good examples. 
Of the oriental family Timaliide, the genus Pterorhinus is Pale- 
arctic. Of Panuride, or reedlings, there are four peculiar genera 
(comprising almost the whole family) ; of Certhiide, or creepers, 
one—Tichodroma—which extends southward to the Abyssinian 
highlands. Of Paride, or tits, one—Acredula ; of Corvide, or 
crows, four—Pica (containing our magpie) being a good example; of 
Fringillide, or finches and buntings, twelve,among which Aca nthis, 
Pyrrhula and Emberiza are good illustrations ; of Alaudide, or 
larks, there are two peculiar genera. Leaving the Passeres we next 
come to peculiar forms among the gallinaceous birds : Syrrhaptes 
among the Pteroclide or sand grouse; four genera of Tetraonidee or 
grouse and partridges, and five of Phasianide or pheasants, com- 
prising some of the most magnificent birds in the world. Lastly 
