114 



NEWTON ON BIRDS IN GREENLAND. 



long been known, and the fact in respect of the species can be 

 most conveniently shown thus : — 





Species belong- 

 ing to the Old 

 World. 



Species belong- 

 ing to the New 

 World. 



Species com- 

 mon to both 

 Worlds. 



Doubtful. 



Stragglers 

 Inhabitants 



19 



5 



34 

 11 



8 

 45 



1 

 2 



The result with regard to the genera under which the species 

 are named is not very different : — 





Genera belonging to 

 the Old World. 



Genera belonging to 

 the New World. 



Genera common to 

 both Worlds. 



Stragglers 

 Inhabitants 



2 

 



12 

 2 



28 

 45 



Turning to the range of the species in Greenland itself, we find 

 that of the 62 stragglers only 9 are known to have penetrated to 

 North Greenland, while the localities whence 13 were procured 

 are not named. Supposing that the same proportion of northern 

 stragglers exists among the 13 of which no particulars have been 

 given as among the 49 of which we know the locality, the number 

 of stragglers to North Greenland may be raised to 12, all of whicli 

 may reasonably be supposed to have passed through the limits of 

 South Greenland. Four-fifths of the stragglers named in this 

 list may accordingly be safely dismissed from our mind, when con- 

 sidering even the casual visitors to that part of Greenland which 

 lies nearest to the scene of the new Expedition's labours. The 

 remainder are not Arctic Birds in any sense, since they have not 

 crossed the Polar Circle, and indeed many of them have hardly 

 been within 400 miles of it. 



Then of the regular denizens, which, taking the highest estimate, 

 cannot be put at more than 63, we find that 16 — or nearly one- 

 fourth-^do not occur within the Polar Circle, and are therefore not 

 entitled to the name of Arctic Birds. The remaining 47 are re- 

 corded as inhabiting North Greenland, but their northward exten- 

 sion is uncertain. Considering, however, what is known of them in 

 other parts of the world, and various facts which seem to bear on 

 their geographical range, we may arrive at something like an 

 approximation of the number which may not unreasonably be 

 looked for in Smith Sound. Yet, making the most liberal 

 allowance, this number cannot be raised above 36,* and to these 



* I am quite aware that this allowance is too great, but I think it best to 

 err on the safe side. If the Expedition meets with 30 species in Smith 

 Sound it will surpass expectation. The number of species, including strag- 

 glers, at present known to have occurred in Spitsbergen does not exceed 30. 



H 



