io6 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS 



The Palaearctic Region may be said to include 

 Europe from Iceland eastwards, Africa north of 

 the Sahara, with the island groups of the Canaries, 

 Madeira, and the Azores, and the whole of Asia, 

 including Japan, with the exception of South 

 Arabia, India, the Burmese countries, Malaysia, 

 and the southern half of China. Among the 

 most characteristic birds of this region may be 

 instanced the typical Warblers, the Accentors, 

 the Magpies, Nutcrackers, Bullfinches, typical 

 Buntings, and Pheasants, and all those northern 

 and arctic forms so many of which, however, are 

 common to the Nearctic region, and thus furnish 

 one of the strongest arguments for amalgamating 

 these two areas. The Ethiopian Region is one 

 of the most compact of these zoological realms, 

 and consists of the whole of Africa south of the 

 desert, but including the whole of Egypt and, of 

 course, the island of Madagascar. Its peculiar 

 bird types include the Vulture Crows, the Plantain- 

 Eaters, the Colics, the Oxpeckers, Guinea Fowls, 

 and Ostriches. The Indian or Oriental Region 

 includes South Arabia, India, and the remaining 

 portions of Asia lying south of the limits of the 

 Palaearctic portion of that continent. Among the 

 types peculiar to this region may be mentioned 

 the Laughing Thrushes, Tailor Birds, Barbets, 



