HUMMING-BIRDS. 7 



range, we find that by far the largest number occur in a part of 

 South America called the Sub-Andean subregion, which lies to 

 the east of the Andes from Bolivia northwards and includes 

 Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guiana. Here live more 

 than 200 peculiar species of Humming-birds. Next in regard 

 to richness in the number of species comes the Central-American 

 sub region, nearly 100 peculiar kinds being met with between the 

 State of Panama and Northern Mexico. The Patagonian sub- 

 region, which includes Chili and the west coast of South America, 

 is very poor in species, but possesses the largest of all the 

 Humming-birds, the Patagona gigas. In the forest-clad districts 

 of Brazil, of the valley of the Amazon and adjacent districts 

 (Amazonian and Brazilian subregions), Humming-birds are 

 abundant ; but comparatively few species (about 45) are peculiar 

 to these countries, the majority being found also in the sur- 

 rounding subregions. 



The West-India islands are inhabited by 16 species, none of 

 which extend to the mainland. Finally, not more than nine 

 species are found within the borders of the United States, and 

 these only as summer visitors, most of them retreating during 

 the cold season to Mexico and Central America, though some are 

 said to winter in California during mild winters. 



