8G RliPOHT- — 1875. 



general p-ogress that has been recently made towards a better knowledge of the 

 zoology of the various parts of the earth's surface, accompanied by a series of 

 remarks upon the best available authorities to be consulted upon such subjects, 

 might supply a want which, as above mentioned, I know, by personal experience, is 

 often felt, and at the same time would form a not inappropriate address from the 

 chair which I have now the honour to occupy, 



I must premise, however, that my observations must be restricted mainly to the 

 terrestrial members of the Subkingdom Vertebrata. To review the recent progress of 

 our Ivuowledge of the various sections of invertebrate animals in different countries 

 would be beyond my powers, and would inordinately enlarge my subject. Besides, 

 it is certain that the higher classes of animals have occupied the principal attention 

 of recent writers on geographical zoology, and it is with the distribution of these 

 classes that we are best acquainted. 



Taking therefore in succession the seven great Regions into which the earth's 

 surface may be most conveniently divided for zoological purposes, I will endeavour 

 to point out our present leading authorities on the Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Batra- 

 chians, and Fishes of each of them and their main constituent parts. At the saiue 

 time I will endeavour to indicate the principal deficiencies in our knowledge of 

 these subjects, and may perhaps be able to add a few suggestions as to how some 

 of these deficiencies might be best overcome. 



In these remarks I will take the divisions of the earth's surface in the same order 

 as I have generally used in my lectures on zoological geography *, namely : — 



I. Palajarctic Region "^ 



II. Etliiopian Region I 



Ilrt. Lemurian Subregion \ Arcfoffcea. 



III. Indian Region J 



IV. Nearctic Region J 



V. Neotropical Region | ^^ , 

 V«. AntiUean Subregion [ ^««''-».'/*«- 

 VI. Australian Region . .Antarctof/fpa. 

 VII. Pacific Region Ornithogmi. 



I. THE PALiEAROTIC REGION. 



The Palrearctic Region I shall consider for convenience' sake in the following 

 seven subregions : — 



1 . The Cisatlantean Si(hregion, embracing all that part of the Palfearctic Region 

 lying south of the Mediterranean Sea. 



1«. The Atlantic Islands, 



2. The Euroiwan Siibrcc/ion. 



3. The Siberian Stibregion, embracing the whole of Northern Asia. 



4. The Mantchurian Subregion, containing Northern China and the adjoining 

 part of Mongolia. 



5. The Japanese Subregion, embracing the Japanese Islands. 



6. The Tartarian Suhregion, containing the great desert-region of Central Asia. 



7. The Persian Subregion, embracing Persia, Asia Minor, and Syria. 



1. The Cisatlantean Subregion, 



As regards the zoology of the main western portion of this district (Tunis and 

 Algeria) our knowledge may now be said to be pi'etty far advanced. The standard 

 work on the subject is the 'Exploration Scientifique de I'Algurie' (1), published 

 by the French Government, in which are treatises on the Mammals and Birds of 

 Algeria by Loche, and on the Reptiles and Fishes by Guichenot. This work was 

 commenced in parts in 1840; and the portions relating to the Mammals and 

 Birds were, I believe, intended to be written by jM. Vaillant, the artist of the 

 Commission ; but only the plates were issued ; and the text, by Captain Loclie, was 

 not completed imtil 1867. A smaller and more convenient work for travellers is 



* See ' Science Lectures for the People,' Sixth Series, 1874, No. 5, " The Geographical 

 Distribution of Mammals. By P. L. Sclater." Manchester : Heywood, 1874. 



