CHAPTER XXVIII. 



DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS ON THE EARTH. 



367. Definition. Most of us remember the pictures 

 in our old geographies in which animals of various kinds 

 were crowded together in the zones frigid, temperate, 

 and torrid. Most of us too have personal knowledge 

 of the fact that in our own locality the animals living in 

 the ponds and running streams, and meadows, and caves, 

 and forests differ among themselves. Again, we expect 

 to find pretty much the same kind of life in the similar 

 ponds even though they may have no connection. The 

 discussion of these questions of the place of animals on 

 the face of the earth, whether on a small or large scale, 

 belong to this subject of the distribution of animals. 



368. Local Distribution. Every student should make 

 a study of the local distribution of the wild animals of 

 his locality. This is often done by means of a much en- 

 larged outline map of the township on which the general 

 topographic features, as roads, streams, lakes, forests, and 

 the like, are outlined. Areas can be indicated as swamp, 

 or prairie, or hills, or woodland, or otherwise. Successive 

 classes of students can keep the results of their findings 

 here in such a way that it will be in course of time a good 

 guide to the local fauna, or total animal life of the district. 

 It will tend to show how certain animals are confined to 

 limited areas and others wander more widely. 



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