xxxviii GEOGEAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION. 
ten degrees south of the tropic of Capricorn in the Cape colony and Kaffraria ; whilst in the 
third region they are strictly confined to the tropics*. In Europe and Australia they are 
unknown. These three great continents, now separated from each other by wide expanses 
of ocean, as well as by the equally impassable burning deserts and eternal Arctic snows, 
will for the sake of convenience be considered separately. With the single and perplexing 
exception of the occurrence of the genus Caloramphus, belonging to the American form, in 
the Malayan archipelago, the grouping of the birds accords well with these great physical 
boundaries. Each region possesses its own peculiar type or types; there is no genus 
common to any two of them ; and all the characteristics of the three divisions lead to the 
conclusion that a very long period indeed has elapsed since intercommunication was cut off, 
if the supposition be correct that they are all derived from a single source. 
I. The Asiatic or Indo-Malayan region, as inhabited by the Barbets, is bounded to the 
south by the Indian Ocean, to the east by the Pacific Ocean, to the west by the deserts of 
Beloochistan and Afghanistan, and to the north by the great central chain of mountains 
which separates India from Thibet, and China from Mongolia. It contains, as far as we at 
present know, four genera, one of which is divided into four subgenera and thirty-four 
species. It may conveniently be divided into four subregions, the limits of which would be 
as follows : — 
1. Ceylon. — A small island, but one showing pecuHar isolation in its forms, and pos- 
sessing a local fauna which renders it well worthy of separate rank as a subregion. Two 
genera and one subgenus are represented in it ; and out of the four species found there, 
three are peculiar to the island; of these three one {M. Jlavifrons) stands quite alone, the 
other two are represented by closely allied species on the neighbouring continent. 
2. India.— This subregion includes the whole peninsula up to the foot of the Himalayas, 
is bounded at the north-east corner by Assam, and is itself the most westerly limit of the 
group. The same genera and subgenus found in Ceylon are also to be found here ; but, 
with one exception, the species are different : they are also more numerous— six species 
inhabiting this district, of which two only extend into the next subregion. 
3. The Himalayas.— This includes the whole Himalayan range, Assam, Burmah, and 
China, as far as the Himalayan type of fauna obtains ; it forms the northern limit of the 
group. It contains examples of two genera and two subgenera, in all five species : of these, 
three species are peculiar to this district, including one entire subgenus ; one extends only 
a short way into Northern India ; and the fifth is X. hcEmacephala, the ubiquitous species of 
the group, found throughout its whole range. 
4. Malayana.— This division is by far the richest, both in genera and species, and seems 
to be the headquarters of the family. It includes all the countries south of Burmah and 
China, the Malayan peninsula, and the islands of the Archipelago, as far as the straits of 
Macassar, beyond which the Barbets do not seem to have spread. It contains representa- 
tives of all four genera, and of two out of the four subgenera : two genera and one sub- 
genus are peculiar to it ; and this subgenus is by far the largest. Of the twenty-two species 
* C. peruvianus is quoted from Valparaiso by Vigors ; but the authority is doubtful. 
