28 On the Distribution of European Birds. [[Jan. 



therefore in our tables more for convenience, or rather till we get 

 more information on the subject, arranged the birds under the heads 

 of the different Continents, and including all the islands south of 

 Java and Sumatra in the Continent of New Holland, adopting the 

 term of Australasia. 



Let us now enter more in detail, and trace out some of Mr 

 Swainson's so-called zoological provinces. We shall first notice hi& 

 European or Caucasian Province. 



In tracing out the geographic distribution of this province, Mr. 

 Swainson has divided the birds into a series of groups, or orders, thus 

 Hapaces, Grallatores, Natatores, Gallinaceee, Scansores, &c, which we 

 shall now notice individually. In regard to the first of these groups^ 

 he makes the following statement — iC The rapacious order, next to the 

 aquatic tribe, is of all others inhabiting the land the most widely 

 spread. This is particularly the case among the nocturnal species. 

 It is remarkable that of thirteen different Owls inhabiting Europe, 

 six only are peculiar ; and two of these more particularly inhabit the 

 arctic regions. Of the rest, four occur in America, two in South- 

 ern Africa, and one both in Asia and America. The Falconidce, 

 or diurnal birds of prey, in regard to their species, have a more 

 restricted distribution than the nocturnal; yet of these, the Eagles 

 enjoy no inconsiderable range ; of four discovered in Europe (I here 

 use his own words 22 ) one is more properly arctic, three have been 

 found in several parts of Africa, and one occurs in America — leaving 

 three only to Europe. It is singular, he continues, that those rapacious 

 birds which, from the peculiar structure of their wings, have been 

 supposed to enjoy the greatest powers of flight among their con- 

 geners, should nevertheless have a much more limited range. This 

 is proved by the fact, that of eight genuine Falcons inhabiting Europe 

 and Northern Africa, two only have been discovered in America, 

 It has, however, recently been stated that the Peregrine Falcon of 

 Australia is absolutely the same as that of Europe. 23 Upon the whole, 

 the distribution of the forty-four European birds of prey appears to 

 be thus regulated — three are more properly arctic ; eleven are 

 found also in America, two in Asia and Africa, and one in Asia 

 and America ; leaving twenty -seven, or more than one half, as 



22 Geography and Classification of Animals, p. 22. See also Murray's Encyclop, 

 of Geography, vol. i. 



23 In regard to the identity of the Peregrine Falcon of Europe and Australia there 

 can be no dispute. We examined minutely the specimen described by Horsfield and 

 Vigors in the Linnaean Trans, now deposited in the Museum of that Society, but 

 could not discover one trivial character of difference. For permission to examine it, 

 and the collection generally, we were indebted to Prof, Don. 



