246 ELEMENTS Or OEJTITHOLOGT. 



The avifauna of Alaska is very largely Palsearetic, only twenty 

 genera out of sixty-three are peculiar to America. 



Amongst the more northern birds are the Divers, not appear- 

 ing to breed south of 45° N. latitude. 



Greenland possesses two genera which are peculiar to the 

 . Nearctic region ; but various species which breed there are of 

 European kinds, as, e. jr., the Sea-Eagle and the Kinged Plover. 

 The Tropic-birds {Phaeton) breed in the Bermudas. These 

 islands do not possess one peculiar species ; but they form an 

 important resting stage for migrants leaving their northern 

 homes in Labrador and Greenland for warmer winter-quarters. 

 The Neoteopical Eegion is perhaps the richest of the whole 

 world, and only yields to that next to be noticed (the Australian) 

 in the peculiarity of its avifauna. Not less than twenty-four 

 families are absolutely peculiar 1o it, while eight others are 

 almost so, only, as it were, straggling into the Nearctic region. 

 Amongst the most remarkable of its peculiar families are the 

 Toucans (Bhamphastidce). the Jacamars (Oalbulidce), the Mot- 

 mots (Momotidce), the Todies (Todidm), the Tinamous (Tina- 

 midce), the 'Hoa.tzin{OpisthocomidcE), the Trumpeters {PsopTiiidm), 

 and the Screamers (Palamedeidce). It is also the exclusive 

 home of the Condor, the Sun-bittern, the Cariama, the Eheas, 

 the true Macaws, and a multitude of Humming-birds, forming 

 one hundred and fifteen genera. The Curassows are almost 

 entirely Neotropical, and, altogether, there are something 

 like six hundred genera which are absolutely peculiar to this 

 region. 



The Patagonian subregion is specially remarkable for its 

 Eheas and the Penguins of its shores. The family of Plant- 

 cutters (Phytotomidce) is almost peculiar to it, and altogether 

 there are about forty-six genera of birds here found, but not 

 found in any other of the six subregions. It is a curious fact 

 that each of the two chief islets of the Juan Fernandez group 

 has a Chilian Humming-bird as well as a species peculiar 

 to it. 



The Falkland Islands have about half a dozen peculiar species 

 of birds. ^ 



The Brazilian subregion has forty-two peculiar genera. Its 

 fauna has much affinity to that of the Amazonian Valley ; but 

 it is distinguished partly by the entrance within its southern 

 borders of the Ehea, Cariama, and the Plant-cutters on the one 

 hand, and by the fact that the Hoatzin, the Sun-bittern, and the, 



