Order, Family, and Genus. No. of Range within the Region. Range beyond the Region. ACCIPITRES. (CATHARTINÆ.) 2 | The Andes and S. of 41° S. Lat. S. United States Jamaica ... FALCONIDÆ. 636. Polyborus 637. Ibycter 638. Circus 639. Micrastur 640. (Jeranospiza 641. Antenor... 642. Astur 643. Accipiter 644. Heterospizias ... 645. Tachytriorchis 646. Buteo 647. Buteola 648. Asturina 649. Busarellus 650. Buteogallus 651. Urubutinga 652. Harpyhaliwetus 653. Morphnus 654. Thrasaštus 655. Lophotriorchis 656. Spiziastur 657. Spizaetus 658. Herpetotheres... 659. Nauclerus 660. Rostrhamus 661. Leptodon ... 2 The whole region California and Florida Almost cosmopolite California Almost cosmopolite Indo-Malaya Africa, India, Malaya S. United States Bolivia Califor., Old World trop. South United States 1 La Plata 3 The whole region Almost cosmopolite 3 The whole region Almost cosmopolite 662. Elanus 663. Gampsonyx 664. Harpages 665. Ictinia 866. Spiziapteryz. 667. Falco 608. Cerchneis PAXDIONIDE. 669. Pandion ... STEIGIDA. 670. Glaucidium 671, Micrathene 672. Pholeoptynx . 673. Bubo 6 The whole region W. United Sts., Palæarc. Peculiar or very Characteristic Genera of Wading and Swimming Birds. Chionis ... 2 Sts. of Magellan, Falkland Ids. Kerguelen's Island CHAPTER XV. THE NEARCTIC REGION. This region consists almost wholly of Temperate North America as defined by physical geographers. In area it is about equal to the Neotropical region. It possesses a vast mountain range traversing its entire length from north to south, comparable with, and in fact a continuation of, the Andes, and a smaller range near the east coast, equally comparable with the mountains of Brazil and Guiana. These mountains supply its great riversystem of the Mississippi, second only to that of the Amazon ; and in its vast group of fresh-water lakes or inland seas, it possesses a feature unmatched by any other region, except perhaps by the Ethiopian. It possesses every variety of climate between arctic and tropical; extensive forests and vast prairies; a greatly varied surface and a rich and beautiful flora. But these great advantages are somewhat neutralized by other physical features. It extends far towards the north, and there it reaches its greatest width ; while in its southern and warmest portion it suddenly narrows. The northern mass of land causes its isothermal lines to bend southwards; and its winter temperature especially, is far lower than at corresponding latitudes in Europe. This diminishes the available area for supporting animal life; the amount and character of which must be, to a great extent, determined by the nature of the least favourable part of the year. Again, owing to the position of its mountain ranges and the direction of prevalent winds, a large extent of its interior, east of the Rocky Mountains, is bare and arid, and often almost desert; while the most favoured districts,—those east of |