28 ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANIMALS. 
varieties of mankind, observes, that ‘ the tribes among 
the Caucasians are more numerous than in any other ;” 
and, as if impressed with the singularity of the circum- 
stance, he again repeats, ‘‘ Whether we consider the 
several nations, or tlie individuals in each, bodily dif- 
ferences are much more numerous in the highly civilised 
Caucasian variety, than in either of the other divisions 
of mankind.” * Whether we look to the Caucasian 
races of man, or the races ef birds, these facts are still 
more curious, since this division is so disproportionately 
small in comparison to either Asia, Africa, or America. 
(38.) That there are instances of typical forms of 
higher groups than genera, which do not occur within 
the European province, does not materially diminish the 
general strength of this analogy. Thus the only bird we 
possess belonging to the tenuirostral or suctorial tribe, is 
the European hoopoe (Upupa Epops L.), which is cer- 
tainly not typical: but this, so far as tribes are concerned, 
is the only exception that can be named; since, although 
we have no parrots, we possess many woodpeckers, 
which are the most typical of all the scansorial birds. 
It is curious that the above exception should be found in 
that division alone which comprises the smallest and 
weakest of birds (Trochilide Sw.). If we descend to 
the families of the Insessores (the most perfect of the 
feathered tribe), there is not one, pre-eminently typical, 
which is not European. 
(39.) These results, furnished by facts which are in- 
contestable, are so important to our present enquiry, that 
we make no apology for having so long dwelt upon 
them. The ornithology of Europe is better known 
than that of any other continent, or of any other class 
of animals distributed in the same regions; it has, conse- 
quently, furnished us with facts more unexceptionable 
and more perfect than could have been drawn from its 
quadrupeds, fish, or insects. How far this view of 
European zoology would be strengthened by a similar 
* Lawrence, p. 442, 475, 
