CHAP, xvin.] BIRDS. 305 



Family 54.— MEGAL.-E^flD.E. (13 Genera, 81 Species.) 



General Distkibution. 



Keotropical I Nearctic I Pal^arctic I Ethiopian I Oriental I Adsthalian 

 Sub-regions. Sub-regions. Sub-regions. Sub-regions, | Sub-region3- ] Sub-rf.gions. 



-2.3— 1.2.3-1.2.3.4 



The Megalsemidie, or Barbets, con.sist of rather small, fruit- 

 eating birds, of heavy ungraceful shape, but adorued with the 

 most gaudy colours, especially about the head and neck. They 

 form a very isolated family ; their nearest allies being, perhaps, 

 the still more isolated Toucans of South America. Barbets are 

 found in all the tropics excepts Australia, but are especially 

 characteristic of the great Equatorial forest-zone ; all the most 

 remarkable forms being confined to Equatorial America, West 

 Africa, and the Indo-jNIalay Islands. They are most abundant 

 in the Ethiopian and Oriental regions, and in the latter are 

 universally distributed. 



In the beautiful monograph of this family by the INIessrs. 

 ^Marshall, the barbets are divided into three sub-families, as 

 Inllows : — 



Pogonorhynchiuffi (3 genera, 15 sp.), which are Ethiopian 

 except tlie 2 species of Tdragonops, which are Neotropical ; 

 Islegaheniinffi (6 genera, 45 sp.), which are Oriental and Ethio- 

 ])inn; and Capitoniufe (4 genera, 18 sp.), common to the three 

 ri^oions. 



The genera are each confined to a single region. Africa 

 ])ossesses the largest number of peculiar forms, while the 

 Oriental region is richest in species. 



This is probably a very ancient group, and its existing dis- 

 tribution may be due to its former range over the Miocene 

 South Paloearctic land, which we know possessed Trogons, 

 Parrots, Apes, and Tapirs, groups which are now equally 

 ftbundant in Equatorial countries. 



VOL. IT. X 



