chap. xvin.] 
BIRDS. 
321 
Family 75. — TR0CHILIDA5. (118 Genera, 390 Species.) 
General Distribution. 
Neotropical 
Sub-regions. 
N EARCTIC 
Sub-regions. 
PaLjEARCTIC 
Sub-regions. 
Ethiopian 
Sub-regions. 
Oriental 
Sub-regions. 
Australian 
Sub-regions. 
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 < 
The wonderfully varied and beautiful Humming-Birds are 
confined to the American continent, where they range from 
Sitka to Cape Horn, while the island of Juan Fernandez has two 
peculiar species. Only 6 species, belonging to 3 genera, are 
found in the Nearctic region, and most of these have extended 
their range from the south. They are excessively abundant in 
the forest-clad Andes from Mexico to Chili, some species extend- 
ing up to the limits of perpetual snow ; but they diminish in 
number and variety in the plains, however luxuriant the vege- 
tation. In place of giving here the names and distribution of 
the numerous genera into which they are now divided (which 
will be found in the tables of the genera of the Neotropical 
region), it may be more useful to present a summary of their 
distribution in the sub-divisions of the American continent, 
as follows : — 
Sub- 
Sub- 
Sub. r 
Sub- 
Nearctie 
region I. 
region II. 
region III. 
region IV. 
region. 
(Patagonia 
(Tropical 
(Tropical 
(Antilles.) 
(Temp. 
& S. Andes.) S. Amer.) 
(N. Amer.) 
I 
'1. Amer.) 
Genera in each Sub-region 
10 
90 
41 
8 
3 
Peculiar Genera ... ... 
3 
53 
14 
5 
0 
Species in each Sub-region 
15 
275 
100 
15 
6 
The island of Juan Fernandez has two species, and Masafuera, 
an island beyond it, one ; the three forming a peculiar genus. 
The island of Tres Marias, about 60 miles from the west coast 
of Mexico, possesses a peculiar species of humming-bird, and 
the Bahamas two species ; but none inhabit either the Falkland 
Islands or the Galapagos. 
Like most groups which are very rich in species and in 
generic forms, the humming-birds are generally very local, small 
VOL. II. Y 
