HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL 



any of its predecessors. The regions adopted and shown in Plate 2 of the 

 present Atlas are as follows : — 



I. Notogaeic Realm.— 1. Australian Region. 



2. Polynesian Region. 



3. Hawaiian Region. 



4. Austro-Malayan Region. 



II. Neogaeic Realm. — Neotropical Region. 



III. Arctogseie Realm.— 1. Malagasy Region. 



2. Ethiopian Region. 



3. Oriental Region. 



4. Holarctic Region. 



5. Sonoran Region. 



The last work it is necessary to mention specially in this place, is The 

 Geography of Mammals, published by W. L. and P. L. Sclater in 1899. 

 The regions adopted in this volume (see Plate 2), the first eight chapters of 

 which had been previously published, are substantially the same as those 

 first suggested by P. L. Sclater in 1857, and the sub-divisions correspond 

 very closely with those of Wallace. In addition to the consideration of 

 terrestrial forms, there is an important chapter on the distribution of Marine 

 Mammals, which will be noticed later. 



Wallace's great work, published in 1876, may be justly regarded as the 

 standard text-book of Zoogeography, inasmuch as it treats the subject very 

 exhaustively and, moreover, takes into consideration not only all the classes 

 of Vertebrate animals, but, in addition, certain Invertebrates. In the 

 account which follows, we shall therefore adopt this author's regions and 

 their sub-divisions ; but when any important departure from his scheme has 

 been proposed by any author, owing to the more detailed study of certain 

 groups, such modification will be briefly alluded to in its proper 

 place. 



The following enumeration of the various regions and sub-regions, as 

 given in Wallace's two volumes (and as shown in Plate 1), may form a fitting 

 conclusion to the foregoing brief history of the subject : — 



I. Palsearctic Region. — 1. European Sub-region. 



2. Mediterranean Sub-region. 



3. Siberian Sub-region. 



4. Manchurian Sub-region. 



II. Ethiopian Region. — 1. East African Sub-region. 



2. West African Sub-region. 



3. South African Sub-region. 



4. Malagasy Sub-region. 



III. Oriental Region. — 1. Indian Sub-region. 



2. Ceylonese Sub-region. 



3. Indo-Chinese Sub-region. 



4. Indo-Malayan Sub-region. 



IV. Australian Region. — 1. Austro-Malayan Sub-region. 



2. Australian Sub-region. 



3. Polynesian Sub-region. 



4. New Zealand Sub-region. 



V. Neotropical Region. — 1. Chilian Sub-region. 



2. Brazilian Sub-region. 



3. Mexican Sub-region. 



4. Antillean Sub-region. 



VI. Nearctic Region. — 1. Californian Sub-region. 



2. Rocky Mountain Sub-region. 



3. Alleghany Sub-region. 



4. Canadian Sub-region. 



I. THE PALEARCTIC REGION. 



Extent. — This, the largest of the six regions, is estimated to cover an 

 approximate area of 14,000,000 square miles. It includes the whole of 

 Europe, Iceland, the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde 

 Islands all that portion of Africa and Arabia which lies to the north of the 

 Tropic of Cancer, Asia Minor, Persia, Afghanistan and Baluchistan and the 

 whole of Asia north of a line which runs up the valley of the Indus, along 

 the o-reat Himalayan range, thence eastwards to the Nan Ling Mountains, 

 south of the Yang-tse-kiang and out to sea just south of the Japanese 

 Islands. 



Sub-regions. — The Palsearctic Region is divided into the following 

 sub-reo-ions : — (1) European; (2) Mediterranean; (3) Siberian; and (4) 

 Manchurian. 



The European Sub-region comprises Northern and Central Europe, its 

 southern boundary running along the Pyrenees, Alps, Balkans, Black Sea 

 and Caucasus. The Mediterranean Sub-region includes the rest of Europe, 

 all the African and Arabian portions of the region, Asia Minor, Persia, 

 Afghanistan and Baluchistan. The Siberian Sub-region embraces all 

 Northern Asia, southwards to the Himalayas. Its eastern boundary runs 

 up from the latter range along the western side of the Hoang-ho, thence to 

 the north of the Amur River, and finally between the islands of Sakhalin 

 and Yezo. The remaining part of Palsearctic China, Mongolia, Manchm-ia 

 and Corea together with the whole of Japan, form the fourth or Manchurian 

 Sub-region. 



Physical Features. — The Palsearctic Region, extending as it does from 

 beyond the Arctic Circle to the Tropic of Cancer, and from the Atlantic 

 eastwards to the Pacific, may be expected to show a wide range of tempera- 

 ture ^reat variations of rainfall, and great diversity in its surface features. 

 Its western portion, consisting mainly of the Continent of Europe, is 



remarkable for the great length of coast-line in proportion to the area 

 embraced. This feature is associated with the presence of great inland seas, 

 and these have an equalising effect on the climate, which in high latitudes 

 is more genial than anywhere else in the globe at a corresponding distance 

 from the Equator. The Gulf Stream, moreover, materially helps to raise 

 the temperature of Western Europe, while the southern portion of this 

 continent is sheltered by mountain barriers which cut off the cold winds 

 of the north. The eastern portion of this great region is, on the whole, 

 much colder. Great extremes of cold are felt in the north, especially in 

 North-eastern Siberia, while the great Tibetan plateau always has a low 

 temperature. On the other hand, the highest summer temperature of 

 the area is experienced in North-western India, Baluchistan and 

 Arabia. 



The northern portion of the Palsearctic Region is mostly low and flat, the 

 only elevated land of any extent being the Scandinavian and the Ural 

 Mountains. This band of low-lying country stretches across from the Bay 

 of Biscay to Behring Strait, and the greater part of it is less than 600 feet 

 above sea-level. Further south a series of mountain ranges runs across the 

 region from west to east, including in Europe the Alps, Carpathians, 

 Balkans, Pyrenees and Caucasus, and in Asia the Tian Shan, Altai, 

 Kuen-lun and Himalayan ranges, while further east the main chains run 

 in a more northerly and southerly direction. The great plateau of Tibet, 

 consisting of elevated plains traversed by mountain ranges, has an elevation 

 of 14,000 to 17,000 feet in the west and 9000 to 14,000 feet in the north- 

 east. 



Steppes and deserts, with little or no rainfall, extend over the greater 

 part of the African and Arabian portions of this region, and form also a 

 prominent feature in South-eastern Europe and Central Asia. The fauna 

 of these arid regions is very characteristic, and includes a number of 

 interesting creatures, specially adapted to endure extremes of heat and 

 drought. 



The nature of the vegetation must be dismissed in a few words. In 

 the extreme north runs a belt of "tundra," where the prevailing flora 

 consists of lichens and mosses, with here and there a little grass or 

 perhaps a stunted bush or two, trees being entirely absent. South of this 

 barren area, extending from Scandinavia eastwards, is a broad belt of forest- 

 land, consisting chiefly of coniferous trees. Then in Central and Western 

 Europe and in the extreme east of the Manchurian Sub-region, the country 

 is covered with a mixed flora, forest-trees and pasture-lands, with an 

 abundance of flowering plants, prevailing. Lastly, the steppes and deserts, 

 whose area is indicated above, have a peculiar flora of their own, con- 

 sisting largely of plants adapted, like the animals, to withstand great 

 dryness. 



Zoological Characteristics. — The fauna of the Palsearctic Region as a 

 whole is very similar to that of the Nearctic. So much, indeed, is this the 

 case, that Heilprin proposed the union of the two into one great region, 

 calling it the Holarctic Realm, and dividing it into two portions, an Old 

 World or Eurasiatic Division, and a North-American or Nearctic Division. 

 This has met with the approval of Newton, Huxley, Lydekker, and other 

 authors. The Palsearctic Region possesses representatives of 135 families 

 of terrestrial Vertebrates, namely, 33 of Mammals, 68 of Birds, 24 of 

 Reptiles, and 10 of Amphibians. None of these, however, is peculiar to the 

 region, but nine are common to and confined to the Palsearctic and Nearctic 

 Regions, and, if to these are added five which are peculiar to the latter, we 

 get a total of 14 families which are purely "Holarctic." 



The nine families occurring in both divisions of the Holai^ctic Realm 

 (to use for a moment Heilprin's name) are the Talpidse (Moles), Ochotonidse 

 (Picas), and Castoridse (Beavers) among Mammals; the Regulidse (Gold- 

 crests, &c), Golymbidse (Divers) and Tetraonidse (Grouse) among Birds; and 

 the Proteidse (Proteus), Salamandridss (Salamanders) and Amphiumidse 

 (Fish-like Salamanders) among Amphibians. The fresh-water fishes also 

 support the union of these two regions, for five families are distinctively 

 Holarctic, namely the Percidse (Perches), Gastrosteidee (Sticklebacks), Esocidse. 

 (Pikes), Acipenseridse (Sturgeons), and Polyodontidse (Toothed Sturgeons). 

 Among Mollusca we find one family, the Aciculidse, confined to the Palsearctic 

 Region, while among insects, the Butterflies of the genera Thais, Parnassius, 

 Pararge and Cceno?iympha, and the Beetles of the genera Lucanus and 

 Blaps may be cited as characteristic. 



Although there are no families of terrestrial Vertebrates peculiar to the 

 Palsearctic Region, yet a large number of genera are confined to this area 

 (amounting in the case of Mammals to about 24 per cent.). Among these 

 may be mentioned Talpa (Mole), Meles (Badger), Camelus (Camel), Capreolus 

 (Roe Deer), Poephagus (Yak), Bupicapra (Chamois) and Myoxus (Dormouse), 

 among Mammals; and Accentor (Accentors), Erithacus (Redbreasts, etc.), 

 Panurus (Reedlings), Gamdus (Jays), Nucifraga (Nutcrackers), Fringilla 

 (Finches) and Perdix (Partridges) among birds. 



Among the animals more characteristic of this region, though not 

 peculiar to it, are the family Talpidse, and the genera Ovis (Sheep), Capra 

 (Goats), Bangifer (Reindeer), Alces (Elk), Bison (Bison), Castor (Beaver), 

 Phasianus (Pheasant) and Chrysolophus (Golden Pheasant). 



Exiropean Sub-region. — In this sub-region only 85 families of terrestrial 

 Vertebrates are represented, and of these the Reptiles and Amphibians 

 number only six each. Only one genus of Mammals is peculiar, namely, 

 Myogale (Desmans), but such animals as the Wolf, Hedgehog, Shrew, Mole 

 and Dormouse are very characteristic, as are also the Wagtails, Pipits, 

 Tits, Thrushes, and many other well-known birds. Among insects the 

 Butterflies of the genera Pamassius, Colias, and Argynnis, and the 

 Beetles of the families Garabidse and Staphylinidae. are abundant and 

 characteristic. 



Mediterranean Sub-region. — This area is much the richest part of the 

 Palsearctic Region, possessing representatives of 120 families of terrestrial 

 Vertebrates. The Fallow Deer, Elephant Shrew, Civet, Ichneumon, 

 Hysena, Hyrax and Porcupine, are all characteristic Mammals, while 



