cal, at least so far as the birds are con- THE HOLARCTIC REGION, 



cerned, we have first as the name implies, includes all of 



THE NEW ZEALAND REGION. North America, Europe, Asia north 



Here we find the flightless Apteryx and of . India ' and the Himalaya moun- 



a flightless goose now extinct, also the ex- tains northern Africa where the 



tinct Moa. There, are also peculiar forms f reat Sal ^ra forms the natural boun- 



among the shore-birds, the birds of prey, dai T> and all islands belonging to the 



the parrots, and some rather curiously n ? rth temperate and north frigid zones, 



constituted passerine birds. There have ^any have d l vld 5 d th ! s reat ^ elt . mto 



been several species introduced in rela- P^learctic and Nearctic, but the inter- 



tively recent times, some of which al- gj*? 1 * ^f species between northeast 



ready show signs of change. Slbe . na and Alaska seems to make such a 



distinction impracticable. But these dis- 



THE AUSTRALIAN REGION tiiictions should be and are retained in 



is but slightly connected with the preced- the divisions of the Holarctic. When we 



ing. The line separating this region from understand that at least one-third of the 



the Indian passes between the islands of species found in the Nearctic are also 



Bali and Lombok, through the Strait of found in the Palearctic, we shall under- 



Macassar, between Borneo and Celebes, stand why these two are grouped under 



thence northward between the Philippines one region. There are no orders, and 



andSanguirandPelew; including, further there seem to be no families which are 



on, the Ladrones, Hawaiian's, all of Poly- found in the Holarctic and nowhere else, 



nesia except the northern outliers of the Indeed, it is difficult to find even genera 



New Zealand group, and finally sweeping which do not have some species ranging 



back to encompass Australia. Here we into the Neotropical, Ethiopian or In- 



find the curious egg-laying mammal, dian. But among the species we find 



Ornithorhynchus. But to pass at once many. Indeed, there are few species 



to the birds. Here we find such peculiar which nest in both the Holarctic and in 



forms as the megapodes, cassowaries, the regions bounding it on the south, and 



sun-bitterns, birds-of-paradise, lyre- many of these are found only on the 



birds, and many not so familiar. Of the southern boundaries of the Holarctic. In 



higher birds there are but few compared our part of the Holarctic, that is, the Ne- 



with Europe or America. It is evidently arctic, the familiar birds about us do not 



a continent which has* long been sep- nest also in the tropical regions, 

 arated from the rest of the world. THE ETH IOPIAN REGION, 



THE NEOTROPICAL REGION as the name SU gg e stS, includes the whole 



includes, broadly, tropical America. The of Africa except that portion north of 



forms found here bear certain resemblances the Sahara desert, and Arabia and 



to those found in the two regions already Egypt, with Madagascar and other 



discussed; but this resemblance is prob- islands in the immediate vicinity, 



ably rather because they are low in the It seems hardly necessary to even 



scale of development than that there has mention the forms that are pecu- 



ever been any direct land connection be- liar to this peculiar region. Even the 



tween them. Much the same conditions word Africa brings trooping to our 



of life must have prevailed for all, thus minds a whole continent of peculiarities 



making the rate of development nearly in more realms than one. Here we find 



equal. Here we find the rhea, tinamou the Ostrich, the plantain eaters, the colics 



and hoactzin, which show low grade; but and several, other families nine in all. 



mingling freely with them the higher Of the lower groups there are the rollers, 



forms which seem to have come down bee-eaters, horn-bills, the curious secre- 



from the north later and all but crowded tary-bird and many others. It is signifi- 



out these lower ones. There is abundant cant that among the Passerine birds there 



evidence that the struggle for existence in are but three families that are peculiar. 



South America has been far less severe So on the whole, this region has not de- 



than in North America. veioped so rapidly as the Holarctic. 



67 



