302 GEOGRAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. [PART IV. 



one-third of the total number of Passeres ; a wonderful illus- 

 tration of the Ornithological riches of South America. 



Order ILPICARIJS. 



FAMILY 51. PICIDJE. (36 Genera, 320;Species.) 

 GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The Woodpeckers are very widely distributed, being only absent 

 from the Australian region beyond Celebes and Flores. They 

 are most abundant in the Neotropical and Oriental regions, both 

 of which possess a number of peculiar genera ; while the other 

 regions possess few or no peculiar forms, even the Ethiopian 

 region having only three genera not found elsewhere. The soft- 

 tailed 'Picunminse inhabit the tropical regions only, PicumnuS 

 being Neotropical, Vivia and Sasia Oriental, and Verreauxia 

 Ethiopian. Picoides, or Apternus, is an Arctic form peculiar to 

 the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Celeus, Chrysoptilus, Chloro- 

 nerpes, and some smaller genera, are Neotropical exclusively, 

 and there are two peculiar forms in Cuba. Yungipicus, Chryso- 

 colaptes, Hemicercus, Mulleripicus, Brachypternus, Tiga, and 

 Micropternus, are the most important of the peculiar Oriental 

 genera. Dendropicus and Geocolaptes are Ethiopian ; but there 

 are no woodpeckers in Madagascar. The Palsearctic woodpeckers 

 belong to the genera Picus which is widely distributed, Gecinus 

 which is an Oriental form, and Dryocopus which is South 

 American. Except Picoides, the Nearctic woodpeckers are mostly 

 of Neotropicalgenera; but Sphyrapicus smdHylatomus arepeculiar. 

 The geological record is, as yet, almost silent as to this family ; 

 but remains doubtfully referred to it have been found in the 

 Miocene of Europe and the Eocene of the United States. Yet 

 the group is evidently one of very high antiquity, as is shown by 



