94 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
restrict it. For the North American temperate region (Austral of Mer- 
riam), I propose the name Neotemperate, to distinguish it from the 
other life regions of the globe. It is absolutely necessary, in the light 
of our present knowledge of biogeography, to separate the temperate 
portions of South America from the tropical, and for this region I pro¬ 
pose the name Austrotemperate. There is even a very distinct boreal 
element in South America, which must also be separated. Like its north¬ 
ern equivalent, which I name the Boreal, it is a circumpolar. It may 
be termed the South Boreal. In the division and subdivision of the 
regions, the terminology is made to conform as closely as possible to that 
adopted by Merriam and Allen for North America, and Wallace, Sclater, 
and others for South America. 
For the second class of divisions, I employ the descriptive term zones, 
as indicating the transcontinental character which they assume. Of these 
zones we have fifteen that can be recognized : Arctic, Hudsonian, Cana¬ 
dian , Transition , Upper Austral , Loioer Austral , Tropical Transition , 
Brazilian , South Tropical , Lower Temperate , Upper Temperate , South 
American Transition , Patagonian , Fuegian, Antarctic. These zones in 
South America become apparent on the study of the fauna in general. 
The transcontinental character of the above divisions disappears with 
their subdivision into provinces. The latter result from the natural sub¬ 
division of zones by reason of aridity and humidity, separation by sea 
or mountains, etc. Subprovinces are still smaller divisions, while faunas 
and floras are the ultimate biogeographic subdivisions. 
The tabular synopsis itself follows. 
\ 
Brownsville, Texas. 
Sept. 23, 1895. 
