26 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [part hi, 



into the Amazonian valley. Guiana still boasts such remarkable 

 forms as the cardinal chatterer (PJmnicocercus), the military 

 chatterer {Hmnatodcrus), as well as Querula, Gymnodenis, and 

 (hjmnocephalns ; but the first three pass to the south side of the 

 Lower Amazon. Here also belong the cock of the rock {Rupicola), 

 which ranges from Guiana to the Andes, and the marvellous 

 umbrella-birds of the Rio Nigro and Upper Amazon {Cepha- 

 lopterus), which extends across the Ecuadorean Andes and into 

 Costa Rica. Brazil has PtilocJiloris, Casiornis, Tijuca, PJiihalura, 

 and Cahjptura ; while not a single genus of this family, except 

 perhaps HeliocJiccra, is confined to the extensive range of the 

 Andes. Almost the same phenomena are presented by the 

 allied Pipridte or manakins, the greater part of the genera and 

 species occurring in Eastern South America, that is in Brazil, 

 Guiana, and the surrounding lowlands rather than in the Andean 

 valleys. The same may be said of the jacamars (Galbulidai) 

 and puff-birds (BucconidcB) ; but the humming-birds (Trochi- 

 lidse) have their greatest development in the Andean district. 

 Brazil and Guiana have each a peculiar genus of parrots ; 

 Guiana has three peculiar genera of Cracidte, while the Andes 

 north of the equator have two. The Tinamid?e on the other 

 hand have their metropolis in Brazil, which has two or three 

 peculiar genera, while two others seem confined to the Andes 

 south of the equator. The elegant trumpeters (Psophiidte) are 

 almost restricted to the Amazonian valley. 



Somewhat similar facts occur among the Mammalia. At least 

 3 genera of monkeys are confined to the great lowland equa- 

 torial forests and 1 to Brazil ; Icticyon (Canidas) and Ptcronnra 

 (Mustelidffi) belong to Guiana and Brazil; and most of the 

 Echimyidae are found in the same districts. The sloths, ant- 

 eaters, and armadillos all seem more characteristic of the 

 eastern districts than of the Andean ; while the opossums are 

 perhaps equally plentiful in the Andes. 



The preceding facts of distribution lead us to conclude that 

 the highlands of Brazil and of Guiana represent very ancient 

 lands, dating back to a period long anterior to the elevation of 

 the Andean range (which is by no means of great geological anti- 



