Mr Latreiiic on the Geographical iJlsiribution of Insects. 5T 
then, will follow a middle direction between these islands, and 
the most eastern cape of America, that of St Roqoe in Brazil. It 
will pass by the Western Azores, and the island of Ascension, 
and will come to an end a little to the west of the Sandwich 
Land. Its longitude will be 84° west of the meridian of Paris. 
According to my observations on the insects collected in Persia by 
Olivier, and the resemblance which they bear to those of the south 
of Europe, and the north of Africa, and the essential differences 
which may be observed in their comparison with those of the East 
Indies, I am induced to believe, that the greatest changes in the 
species take place in the south, towards the frontiers of Persia and 
India ; and in the north, at a short distance from the eastern side 
of the Uralian Chain, and the Sea of Azal, a little beyond the 
meridian, which is under the 60° to the east of Paris. We may 
nearly establish this limit at 62° * *, a little to the west of the Obi, 
of Balk and Candahar, &c., which will give us the means of con- 
tinuing our duodecimal divisions ; for if we add the number of 
62° to that of 84°, the difference of our first meridian and that of 
Paris, we shall have 96, a quantity susceptible of being divided 
without fractions into eight parts, of which each equals the 
thirtieth portion of a circle. We shall thus separate the An- 
cient Continent into two great bands, of which one is western, 
the other eastern. If we give to the latter the same extent in 
longitude, or 96°, the meridian which will terminate it U)- 
wards the east will be 158° more eastern than tliat of Paris* 
It will depart from Kamtchatka, will direct itself to the Caro- 
linas, and from thence proceed between New Holland and New 
Zealand. Augmented by one-fourth, or 24°, this band will 
have for its eastern limit another meridian, which, at 182° to the 
east of Paris, will pass near the East Cape in the Straits of 
Behring, will prolong itself beyond the Eriendly Isles, and form, ' 
without any error of importance to our object a line of 
* At the western declivity of the mountains which separate Mekran and Sedjes- 
tan from Hindostan, and of those which are intermediate between the Great and 
the Little Bucharia, towards the sources of the Jikon and Gikon. 
*f- It is probable that the animals of the countries which terminate the north- 
east of Asia, and the north-west of America, or which are adjacent to the Straits 
of Behring, have much in common with each other ; thus these straits do noit 
