176 
BIRD-LIFE. 
family numbers over 300; the Raptores, about 400 ; 
and the Passeres, which may be divided into several 
families, number over 5000 ; Pigeons, about 300 ; Gallina¬ 
ceous birds, over 300 : the Ostrich family, 10; Waders, 
about 600; and the Swimming-birds, such as Ducks, 
Divers, &c., also about 600 species. These species are 
distributed over the earth’s surface somewhat in the 
following manner :—In Europe alone Parrots are not 
represented. Birds of prey are cosmopolites, that is to 
say their different families have representatives in all 
quarters of the globe ; with the exception of the Secretary 
bird (Gypogeranus serpentarius ) of Africa and the Lammer- 
geir, which only inhabit the Old World. The Passeres 
are universally distributed; every quarter of the globe, 
however, is possessed of special groups. The Pigeons 
are scattered over the whole earth. The Gallinaceous 
birds are pretty equally distributed; those of the Old 
World consist mainly of three principal groups, containing 
about seventy species; in the New, are five families, also 
containing about seventy species; one family has repre¬ 
sentatives in both hemispheres. The Ostrich is wholly 
unrepresented in Europe. Among the Waders we find 
many families which are spread all over the earth; yet 
every quarter of the globe possesses its own peculiar 
types. The Swimming-birds ( Natatores ) are almost all 
cosmopolitan, as the following: Swans, Geese, Ducks, 
Waterhens, Mergansers, Pelicans, Frigate-birds, Terns, 
Gulls, Albatrosses, Puffins, Petrels, and Grebes. The 
Auks, Divers, Guillemots, and Penguins, are confined 
to the northern and southern Polar seas; while the 
Scissorbills—Terns and Tropic-birds, are not found out 
of the tropics; the Darters, as well as Birds of Paradise, 
only inhabit the countries situated in the torrid zone. 
