448 ZOOLOGY 



Definition of 3. The Sclater-Wallace regions are named and de- 



logicaT fined as follows : 



regions ( a ) Nearctic, or northern region of the New World. 



North America, excluding all tropical portions 

 except the southern end of Florida. 



(b) Neotropical. South America, and all tropical 



parts of Mexico and Central America, as well 

 as the West Indies. 



(c) Palcearctic, or northern region of the Old World. 



Europe, Africa north of the Sahara Desert, and 

 the temperate parts of Asia. 



(d) Ethiopian. All Africa except the northern tem- 



perate portion. 



(e) Oriental. Tropical Asia (Indian Region of 



Sclater). 



(/) Australian. Australia, New Guinea, and ad- 

 jacent islands. 



Oceanic Tfe e Oceanic islands j such as the Hawaiian Islands, 



cannot properly be attached to any of the great regions. 

 The Antarctic 'continent also is to be considered sepa- 

 rately, but it has very little terrestrial life at the 

 present time, though it is known to have been warm 

 and fertile in remote geological periods. It is es- 

 pecially distinguished today by the penguins, a very 

 ancient type of birds existing in great numbers along 

 the coast (see page 380). 



It is possible to criticize the names given to some of 

 the regions, but they are so well established that they 

 cannot now be altered. From a scientific point of 

 view, of course, the two sides of the world are not 

 "new" and "old" ; and, on the other hand, the popular 

 use of the word "arctic" is for far northern, not tem- 

 perate, regions. The original meaning of "arctic" was 

 simply northern, the region where the " arctos," or 



