24 ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF AlVIMALS. 



Asia and Africa ; while two only, as before mentioned, 

 occur in North America. 



(29.) The swallow-like birds (Fiftsirostres) are well 

 known by capturing their food on the wing, and by their 

 migratory habits ; only one, the common or European 

 kingfisher, being stationary. Hence it is, that most of 

 the European species occur in other regions : the pro- 

 portion of those which appear confined to Northern 

 Africa is as one to three. 



(30.) The finch family, comprising the small seed-eat- 

 ing birds, not only contains numerous species, but these 

 are very abundant in number. We reckon forty-one to be 

 natives of Europe; two of which are common in all the 

 northern latitudes, and, at certain seasons, frequent the 

 polar regions in large flocks: seven also inhabit North 

 America ; and three extend their range to Asia and 

 Africa. With these deductions, we find no less than 

 thirty species restricted to the European province. 



(31.) The scansorial or climbing birds are few, not 

 amounting to more than fifteen species ; yet eight, or one 

 half of this number, are unknown in other countries. 



(32.) It is among the insectivorous or soft-billed birds 

 that the principal ornithological features of any exten- 

 sive region will be traced. The very extensive genus of 

 titmice warblers (Sylvicolce Sis.), or the family of hum- 

 ming-birds, would of themselves be sufficient to place 

 America in a distinct province. To what cause it is 

 to be attributed, that birds, by no means defective in the 

 power of flight, should yet be so strictly confined within 

 certain geographic limits, has not been explained. Of 

 eighty-five species belonging to the thrushes, warblers, 

 titmice, and flycatchers, eighty-two have not been dis- 

 covered beyond the limits assigned to the European 

 range. In this number we, of course, include such as 

 migrate to Northern Africa and Western Asia ; these 

 countries being within the province we are now speak- 

 ing of. Yet, if we deduct those which have actually 

 been detected beyond the shores of the Mediterranean 



