Q4 ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANIMALS. 
Asia and Africa; while two only, as before mentioned, 
occur in North America. 
(29.) The swallow-like birds (Fissirostres) 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 (Sy/vicole 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 
