GEOGEAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 17 



The Palsearotic region (next to the Nearctic) has a much greater affinity to the 

 Indian region than to any other. The entire number of families is computed at 

 67 and the genera 324 (less one). Of these, though there are neither Parrots, 

 Humming Birds, Hornbills, nor Toucans, 128 are common to the Nearctic region, 

 including Thrushes, Crossbills, Magpies, Goatsuckers, Woodpeckers, Swallows, 

 Snowy Owls, Jerfalcons, and others. Species of 51 more seem to occur as 

 true natives, both in the Ethiopian and Indian regions. Also 18 appear to 

 be common to the Ethiopian without being found in the Indian region, and 

 no fewer than 71 to the Indian without being found in the Ethiopian. 

 Almost the only group which may be said to characterise the palsearctic region 

 positively is that to which the Bearded Titmouse belongs. The true Hawfinches 

 are also characteristic. The most conspicuous is the Capercailzie. 



The subregions are distinguished as under : — 



(a) The European mbregion includes all Europe N. of the Pyrenees, the Alps, 

 the Balkans, the Black Sea, and the Caucasus. It is bounded on the E. by the 

 Ural Mountains. It does not seem to possess a single genus which can be 

 accounted absolutely peculiar to it. The Spitzbergen Ptarmigan (L. hyherhoreus) 

 is nearly allied to the Rock Ptarmigan {L. rupestris) of the JS'earctic region, which 

 only occurs in the Palsearctic region in Iceland. Iceland is also the breeding 

 place of the Falcon {F. islandus) and the Harlequin Duck. The Red Grouse 

 (L. scoticus), restricted to the British Isles, differs in no essential character save 

 colouration from the Willow Grouse {L. alius), which is circumpolar, inhabiting the 

 Arctic tundras of Europe, Asia, and America. 



(h) The Mediterranean suhregion. The Barbary States, the Iberian and Italian 

 peninsulas, as well as Turkey in Europe, extending eastward through Asia Minor 

 and Persia until it touches the Indian region. 



In the Atlantic isles there is a specific Bullfinch, a peculiar Chaffinch in the 

 Canary Islands, while Madeira has also its peculiar Gold-crested Wren and peculiar 

 Pigeon. 



(c) The Mongolian suhregion. Stretching from the eastern shores of the 

 Caspian, and marching with the Mediterranean suhregion till the Hindoo Koosh 

 is reached, and thence coincident with its southern borders, possibly following 

 the course of the Yang-tze-kiang to the Yellow Sea and Japan. Subregions (6) 

 and (c) have many peculiar Chats and Shrikes, and possess Sand-Grouse, Larks, and 

 Warblers. Pheasants abound in the more eastern parts. It has Vultures, Pelicans, 

 and Flamingoes, which are wanting further north. 



{d) The Siberian suhregion has but one genus {Eurynorhynchus), the Spoonbill 

 Stint, peculiar. 



5. The Ethiopian Region. All Africa except the Barbary States, the Cape 

 Verd Islands, and those in the Gulf of Guinea, Madagascar, the Mascarene group 

 (from Reunion to the Seychelles), Socotra, and Arabia. The Ghor, or valley of 

 the Jordan, and the depressed basin of the Dead Sea is considered as an outlier 

 of this region. It possesses a number of Ratit^ in the very specialised form 

 Struthio — the Ostrich — which is supposed at one time to have ranged as far to 

 the east as Sind. Amongst the families of birds absolutely peculiar to it are 

 Plantain-Eaters, Colies, Guinea Fowls, and the Secretary Bird. 



Its subdivisions are distinguished thus : — 



(a) The Libyan suhregion, or all the northern part of Africa bounded by a 



