DISTRIBUTION IN SPACE 137 



The Palaearctic Region contains no representa- 

 tive of this group, whilst the Nearctic Region 

 can only claim one, and that now confined to its 

 more southern limits. The Neotropical Region 

 is fairly well stocked with Parrots, one species 

 penetrating as far south as the Strait of Magellan ; 

 but the Ethiopian and Oriental Regions are com- 

 paratively poor in species. The Australian Region 

 is the metropolis of the Parrots, that portion of 

 it extending from Celebes to the Solomon Islands 

 being exceptionally rich in genera and species. 

 It is in this region that the Parrots reach their 

 most southerly known limits, the Macquarie 

 Islands, in lat. 54 S. ; whilst their northern 

 range is most restricted in the Ethiopian Region, 

 not reaching the Tropic of Cancer. The first 

 family (Stringopidae) contains but a single species, 

 the curious Owl Parrot, confined to New Zealand. 

 The second family (Psittacidae) may be said 

 almost to range over the distribution of the order, 

 being represented in each zoological region. 

 The third family, the Cocakatoos (Cacatuidae), 

 are a special feature of the Australian Region, 

 although they do not extend into the Pacific 

 beyond the Solomon group, and are not repre- 

 sented in New Zealand. The fourth family 

 (Cyclopsittacidae) are restricted to a small 



