ON NOKTH AMERICAN ZOOLOGY. 



181 



Tetrao 



'canadensis, A. 176. 44° N. — 



68' N. Moist Woods. 

 Franklinii, F.B.A. 61. 50° N.— 



58° N. Rocky Mount. 

 obscurus, A. 361. 40° N.— 63° 



N. 

 mutus*, Leach. 67°N.— 70°N. 

 rupestris*, A. 373. 55° N. — 



75° N. Barren Grounds. 

 leucurus, F.B.A. 63. 54° N.— 



64° N. Rocky Mount. 

 saUceti*, Ed. 72. 45°N.— 70°N. 



Tetrao fiirophasianus, ^. 366. 42°N. — 



J 4S°1^. PrairiesoftheColumb. 



„ 1 phasianellus, A. 367. 36° N.— 



|_ 61° N. 



Ortyx virginiana, A. 76. Mex. — 48° N. 



„ caJjfornica, Shaw. Mis. 345. 36°N. 



— 44° N. 

 „ Douglasii, Vig. 9. Cal. 36° N.— 



42° N. 

 „ picta, Doug. 38° N.— 45° N. 

 „ spilogaster,Zool.pr. 15. Mex. Cum. 

 „ cristata, enl. 126./. 2° ^.—Mex. 



The families of rasores are capable of being distributed pretty- 

 correctly into geographical groups. Thus tlie cracidce belong 

 to South America, a few species extending northwards to Mex- 

 ico : one genus {megapodms) inhabiting New Guinea, forms 

 another link of connection between the Australian and South 

 American faunae. The struthionidce belong mostly to the 

 warmer parts of the old continent, one form (the New Holland 

 emeu) inhabiting Australia, and another {rhed) South America. 

 The phasianidce also have their head quarters in the more 

 southern parts of the old world, one genus only {meleagris), 

 composed of two species, being American. The columbidae, on 

 the other hand, are spread generally over the world, though the 

 family contains several well-marked minor geographical groups. 

 The tetraonklcB are likewise widely diffused, but chiefly in the 

 colder or temperate regions; and it is to this family that the only 

 rasorial birds common to both continents belong, — they are ptar- 

 migans, inhabiting the most northern districts, [tetrao jnutus, ru- 

 pestris and saliceti) . On comparing this division of the faunae of 

 North America and Europe with each other we find that the for- 

 mer wants the partridges so common in the temperate parts of the 

 latter, the true pheasants, the genus otis, and the ])terocles 

 and hemipodii which have spread to the south of Europe from 

 Africa and Asia ; on the other hand it possesses several forms 

 of colmnbidcje, not known in Europe ; the magnificent turkey, 

 which for culinary purposes ranks as the chief not only of the 

 gallinacei but of the whole feathered race ; several singular 

 iovm?,.oi tetrao-, and the beautiful californian quails {ortyx) ; be- 

 sides the Mexican cracidce, which, as they do not go so far north 

 as the southern extremity of Europe, do not fairly come into the 

 comparison. In short, the similarity of this portion of the two 

 faimce is confined to one group of columhcE, which does not 

 reach higher than the southern parts of the United States, to the 

 arctic lagopi, and to another group of tetraones, which includes 

 canadefisis, but is not generically distinct from the typical 

 grouse. 



