352 Wonders of the Bird World 



A. THE PAL^ARCTIC REGION. 



This embraces the whole of Europe and Northern Asia, 

 and its southern limit corresponds nearly with that of the 

 30th parallel of N. Latitude. There is considerable 

 affinity between its birds and those of the Nearctic Region, 

 and it contains but few genera which can be said to be 

 characteristic of its vast expanse. It is a land of Grouse 

 and Pheasants, and the Capercailies (Tctrao) are one of 

 the principal types, while most of the true Pheasants 

 {Pkasiamis), of which our Common Pheasant (_P. colcliicus) 

 is an example, are confined within its limits. 



I. THE ARCTIC SUB-REGION. 



This may roughly be described as comprising the land 

 above the Arctic Circle, with the northern islands, such as 

 Kolguev, Novaya Zemlya, Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land, 

 etc. It extends to the southward of the Arctic Circle in 

 Central Siberia, and includes the mountain districts of 

 Scandinavia. It is the home of several characteristic 

 species, such as the Gj'r-Falcon {Hierofalco gyrfalco), the 

 Hawk Owl {Snrnia ululd), Steller's Eider Duck {Somata'ta 

 stelleri), the Snowy Owl {Nyctea nycted), and the Snow 

 Bunting {Plectrophenax nivalis), while many Sea-birds, such 

 as the Little Auk {Alle alle) and Briinnich's Guillemot {Uria 

 bniennicki) nest only within this area, as do Bewick's Swan 

 {Cygniis beivicki) and several species of Wading-birds, like 

 the Knot [Tringa caimtus) and the Curlew Sandpiper 

 (A iicylocliiliis siibarqiiatus). 



II. THE EURASIAN SUB-REGION. 



This Sub-Region includes the rest of Europe above the 

 line of the Alps and Carpathians to the Caspian Sea, with 



