this more, rapid change in the Orient may be briefly stated. The conflguration of 

 the Orient is such that animals would have a far greater range east and west than 

 north and south. A great mountain range and a great desert are thrown as bar- 

 riers across the way of the northward and southward movement. In America 

 there is a continuous gateway to the north and south, but barriers to an eastward 

 or westward movement. With such creatures as the birds freedom to move north 

 and south would always lessen competition, while the crowding of one group or 

 race upon another eastward or westward would increase the competition. But 

 Geology tells us that in the Orient such westward invasions have actually oc- 

 curred, causing the death of the less hard}- forms and the modification of all 

 forms of animal life. 



It must not be understood, from what has been said, that all the animals, 

 especially the birds, found in any one country or island, are dififerent from the 

 birds found in all others, for that is not true. There are many species of birds 

 that are found practically all over the earth. But what is true is that each country 

 or region of any considerable extent, or group of oceanic islands has some species 

 which are not found anywhere else in the world. 



From what has already been said it will be clear that the world may be divided 

 into several different regions, according to the animals which are peculiar to the 

 different ones. Following Newton's system, because it seems the most logical, at 

 least so far as the birds are concerned, we have first, the New Zealand region. 



Here we find the flightless Apteryx and a flightless goose now extinct, also 

 the extinct Moa. Tbere are also peculiar forms among the shore-birds, the birds 

 of prey, the parrots, and some rather curiously constituted passerine birds. There 

 have been several species introduced in relatively recent times, some of which 

 already show signs of change. 



The Australian region is but slightly connected with the preceding. The line 

 separating this region from the Indian passes between the islands of Bali and 

 Lombok, through the Strait of ^Macassar, between Borneo and Celebes, thence 

 northward between the Philippines and Sanguir and Pelew ; including, further 

 on, the Ladrones, Hawaiians, all of Polynesia except the northern outliers of the 

 New Zealand group, and finally sweeping back to encompass Australia. Here 

 -we find the curious egg-laying mammal, Ornithorhynchus. But to pass at once 

 to the birds. Here we find such peculiar forms as the megapodes, cassowaries, 

 sun-bitterns, birds-of-paradise, lyre-birds, and many not so familiar. Of the 

 higher birds there are but few compared with Europe or America. It is evidently 

 a continent which has long been separated from the rest of the world. 



The Neotropical region includes, broadly, tropical America. The forms 

 found here bear certain resemblances to those found in the two regions already 

 discussed ; but this resemblance is probably rather because they are low in the scale 

 of development than that there has ever been any direct land connection between 

 them. Much the same conditions of life must have prevailed for all, thus making 

 the rate of development nearly equal. Here we find the rhea, tinamou and hoact- 

 zin, which show low grade ; but mingling freely with them the higher forms which 

 seem to have come down from the north later and all but crowded out these lower 



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