66 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



(Fringilla), and bunting (Emberiza), the last two almost exclusively 

 confined to this region (and the adjoining debatable tracts) — starlings 

 (SturnidsB), larks (Alaudidas), wag-tails (Motacillidae), wood-peckers 

 (Picidffi), king-fishers (Alcediaidae), swifts (Cypselida^), and pigeons 

 (Columbidae). All of these families, not a single one of which is 

 restricted to the Holarctic region, are, with the exception of the 

 starlings (SturnidfE) and the fly-catchers (Muscicapidae), likewise 

 distributed throughout the Nearctic division, of whose avifauna 

 they constitute a very important factor. In the New World the 

 true starlings are replaced by the family of hang-nests (Icteridse), 

 to which the Baltimore bird (Icterus), bobolink (Dolichonyx), cow- 

 bird (Molothrus), and red-wing (Agelaius) belong. The Old World 

 fly-catchers have their representatives in the tyrant shrikes (Tyran- 

 nidae), familiarly also known as fly-catchers. The true warblers 

 (Sylviadse) are but very feebly developed in the Nearctic division, 

 where, of about ten species, three are kinglets (Regulus), and three 

 blue-birds (Sialia) ; but their place is taken by a multitude of forms 

 belonging to the preeminently South American family of wood- 

 warblers (Mniotiltidse). Of the Holarctic gallinaceous birds the 

 most distinctive forms in the eastern division are the true partridge 

 (Perdix), snow-partridge (Tetraogallus), capercaillie (Tetrao), true 

 pheasant (Phasianus), golden-pheasant (Thaumalia), tragopan (Ce- 

 riornis), and impeyan (Lophophorus), forms cither exclusively re- 

 stricted to the region, or just passing beyond the boundaries ; of 

 the western division, the California quail (Oreortyx), cupido (Cu- 

 pidonia), tree-grouse (Canace), sage-grouse (Centrocercus), and tur- 

 key (Meleagris). The ruffled-grouse (Bonasa) and ptarmigan (Lago- 

 pus) are common to the northern regions of both hemispheres. The 

 birds of prey comprise, throughout both divisions of the region, a 

 variety of eagles, falcons, hawks, buzzards, kites, and owls, and of 

 forms nearly all of which are also found in other portions of the 

 earth's surface. America has no representative of the Old World 

 group of (true) vultures, forming the sub-family Vulturinse, their 

 place being filled by the carrion vultures, or so-called turkey-buz- 

 zards (Cathartinas). Of the wading-birds the Burasiatic region alone 

 possesses the true bustard (Otis), the typical representative of a 

 family whose members are spread throughout Africa, Asia, and 

 Australia. 



The Holarctic region is deficient in reptilian forms as compared 



