1839-3 On the Distribution of European Birds. 25 



man is liable to be influenced by the same physical laws as those 

 which act upon the lower animals. 



If we take into consideration the Continents of North and South 

 America, we shall find them fully as well, if not better, marked out 

 as zoological provinces— at least South America — than any of the 

 others enumerated by Mr. Swainson. Thus among the Mammalia 

 in South America, we find, the genera Priodon, Apara Encoubertes, 

 Dasyprocta Hydrochaerus, Coelogenys, 10 &c. entirely confined ; and 

 in regard to the ornithological kingdom, the genera Pipra, Rupicola, 

 Alector, Crax, Penelope, Dicholophus, Crotophaga, Rhamphastos, Rhea 

 Tanagra, Trochilus, &c. are almost entirely unknown in the Northern 

 Continent. No doubt a few extend their migrations as far north 

 as Mexico ; and of the family Trochilidce, or Humming-Birds, four 

 are found throughout the Continent of North America; two 11 of these 

 however must be considered as accidental. One, the Trochilus colubris, 

 extends as far north as the 57° or 58° on the west coast, ' 2 it also 

 frequents the w r arm plains of Saskatchewan, and Mr. Drummond 

 found its nest near the sources of the Elk river. It advances towards 

 the north as the season lengthens, and delays its visits to the 

 Northern States till the month of May, and still as remarked by 

 Nuttal, as if determined that no flower shall blush unseen, or 

 waste its sweetness on the desert air, it launches at once on wings 

 as rapid as the wind, without hesitation, into the flowery wilderness 

 which borders on the arctic circle. 13 Another species, Trochilus rufus, 

 first discovered by Captain Cook at Nootka Sound, hence denominated 

 the Nootka Sound Humming-Bird, has a much more extensive range, 

 having been found by Kotzebue as far north as the 61° parallel of 

 latitude on the Pacific coast ; and there are specimens in the Edinburgh 

 Royal Museum of the same species from Mexico. Specimens have 

 also been observed by Swainson from the same quarter, being killed 

 near Real del Monte. In the Trochilus (ornismya) sephanoides, Less. 

 we see a similar distribution in the Southern Continent, it having 

 been discovered by Captain King at the Straits of Magellan, and 

 in honour of whom it has been named the Melisuga Kingii by 

 Vigors, 14 although erroneously, for it does not at all differ from 



10 For the different genera of quadrupeds proper to the two continents of America, see 

 Illiger. Loc. Cit. Fischer. Loc. Cit., and Richardson's excellent Reporton North Ame- 

 rican Zool. in Trans of Brit. Asso. vol. v. for those found- in North America. 



11 Audubon's Amerc. Ornith. 



1.2 Nuttal' s Amerc. Ornith. vol, ii, p. 605 



13 Nut. vol. i.p 585 



14 Zool. Journ 



