24 On the Distribution of European Birds. ' £Jan. 



most southern limits are marked by the islands of Java and 

 Sumatra, where the zoological characters of the Australian regions 

 begin to be apparent. 3. The American province, he states, is uni- 

 ted to Europe and Asia at its northern limits, and comprehends 

 the whole of the New World, but into which it blends at the 

 other extremity is uncertain. 4th. The African province. In it he 

 includes the whole of Africa south of the Great Desert ; part, at least, 

 of the countries on the Mediterranean exhibits a decided affinity to 

 the European range ; while the absence of large animals in Madagas- 

 car, and the presence of genera peculiar to New Holland and the 

 extreme point of Southern Africa, lead us to the fifth, or Australian 

 range. 5. Australian province. Australia, New Guinea, and the 

 neighbouring islands, mark its limits in that direction; Australia 

 Proper is its chief seat, and it spreads over the whole of the nume- 

 rous islands in the Pacific Ocean ; and he moreover remarks, 

 whether this province blends with that of America or Europe, re- 

 mains for further discovery; but its connexion with Africa and 

 Asia has been already intimated. That the zoology of each of the 

 individual Continents blend with each other at their junction, 

 is a fact that never once has been questioned; but with regard 

 to Madagascar forming the connecting link between Australia and 

 the African Continent, Mr. Swainson can claim no originality in 

 this statement, seeing that it was several years before the publication 

 of Mr. Swainson's elaborate work, pointed out by M. Lesson ; 8 and 

 it is a remarkable fact that lately several animals considered truly 

 African have been detected in New Holland, 9 and, on the other hand, 

 several pouched animals, which tribe were supposed to be peculiar to 

 New Holland and America, have been discovered in Madagascar. 



The divisions which Mr. Swainson has proposed, appear at first 

 sight very plausible ; but when thoroughly inquired into, will not 

 bear the test of examination. Thus to arrange under one and the 

 same division the Continents of North and South America, Mr. Swain- 

 son has taken for granted what nobody has admitted, or can admit, viz. 

 that the geographic distribution of birds is subject to the same laws 

 as those which regulate man. 10 Upon this argument the whole of 

 his divisions seems to be founded, which is quite at variance with all 

 that is yet known in regard to the geographic distribution of ani- 

 mals. In fact, there is no ground whatever for such an argument ; nor 

 have we any evidence whatever, on the other hand, to maintain that 



8 Annal. de Science Nat. 9 Proceedings of Zool. Soc. of London. 

 10 The divisions adopted by Mr. Swainson being in accordance with the views of 

 Dr Pritchard in regard to the distribution of man. 



