76 WHITE-HEADED LONG-TAILED TIT. 



Mound-building Megapodes; or the Neotropical 

 Region, the richest of all, with its Curassows, 

 Boat-bills, Hoatzins, etc. 



And what of the Nearctic Region, i.e., the 

 Northern region of the New World, which 

 includes North America, down to the Table-land 

 of Mexico ? Recent scientific criticism would 

 have us recognise this as an integral part of our 

 European or Palaearctic Region, the two to be 

 included in one natural area, the " Holarctic " 

 Region. With this we do not in the least agree. 

 In its strictly northern elements there is much in 

 common between the two regions, and Snowy 

 Owls, Jer-Falcons, Willow- Grouse, Waxwings, 

 Shore-Larks, and many other birds are common 

 to both, but in the Nearctic Region Pheasants, 

 Capercailzies, Bearded Reedlings, Wagtails, and 

 all true Warblers, are absent ; while on our side 

 of the world we have no Painted Warblers 

 {Mniotiltidcs), no Hang-nests {Icteridce), no Ruffed 

 Grouse, no Turkeys, and many other forms of 

 bird-life which North America possesses. Thus 

 we firmly believe, with Dr. A. R. Wallace, that 

 the northern regions of the old and new worlds, 

 possess distinctive features which will lead orni- 



