NATATORES. 345 



Order NATATORES. 



Upon taking a general view of the birds of this order 

 inhabiting Europe and Australia, our attention cannot fail to 

 be arrested by some remarkable contrasts which present 

 themselves to our notice. I allude to the great excess in the 

 number of species of some of the principal groups, and the 

 paucity of others ; for instance, of the AnatidxE, the European 

 fauna comprises at least forty species, while eighteen arc all 

 that are known in Australia ; of the Laridce, exclusive of the 

 Terns, twenty species inhabit Europe, while three are all that 

 are known in Australia ; on the other hand, sixteen species 

 of Terns frequent the shores of Australia, while about twelve 

 resort to those of Europe ; of the family ProcellaridcB, or 

 Albatroses and Petrels, nearly forty species enliven the Aus- 

 tralian seas, while about seven are all that are known to inhabit 

 those of Europe ; of the Mergansers, Puffins, and Guillemots 

 of the northern hemisphere no species is found in Australia 

 or in any other part of the south seas ; on the other hand, 

 the Penguins so common there are unknown in Europe ; 

 while the Grebes and Cormorants are about equal in number 

 in both hemispheres. Australia, it is true, has a Swan, but it 

 is of a different form, and is but a feeble representative of 

 the true Ci/pii of our part of the world ; the same may be 

 said of the Geese, for she has no member of the genus 

 Anser ; neither does any species of this important group of 

 birds exists south of the line, either in Australia or any other 

 country. 



Family ANATID^. 



Of this family the most important Australian species is 

 the Black Swan, and the next the Cereopsis Goose. Like 

 Europe, that country has two fine Sheldrakes, about three true 

 Ducks, two species of Shovellers, two Tree- and three Diving- 



