The Range of British Mammals as indicating a Zoological Region.—We will first take our commonest wild mammalia and see how far they extend, and especially whether they are confined to Europe or range over parts of other continents:

1. Wild Cat Europe N. Africa Siberia, Afghanistan.
2. Fox Europe N. Africa Central Asia to Amoor.
3. Weasel Europe N. Africa Central Asia to Amoor.
4. Otter Europe N. Africa Siberia.
5. Badger Europe N. Africa Central Asia to Amoor.
6. Stag Europe N. Africa Central Asia to Amoor.
7. Hedgehog Europe — Central Asia to Amoor.
8. Mole Europe — Central Asia.
9. Squirrel Europe — Central Asia to Amoor.
10. Dormouse Europe — —
11. Water-rat Europe — Central Asia to Amoor.
12. Hare Europe — W. Siberia, Persia.
13. Rabbit Europe N. Africa —

We thus see that out of thirteen of our commonest quadrupeds only one is confined to Europe, while seven are found also in Northern Africa, and eleven range into Siberia, most of them stretching quite across Asia to the valley of the Amoor on the extreme eastern side of that continent. Two of the above-named British species, the fox and weasel, are also inhabitants of the New World, being as common in the northern parts of North America as they are with us; but with these exceptions the entire range of our commoner species is given, and they clearly show that all Northern Asia and Northern Africa must be added to Europe in order to form the region which they collectively inhabit. If now we go into Central Europe and take, for example, the quadrupeds of Germany, we shall find that these too, although much more numerous, are confined to the same limits, except that some of the

more arctic kinds, as already stated, extend into the colder regions of North America.

Range of East Asian and North African Mammals.—Let us now pass to the other side of the great northern continent, and examine the list of the quadrupeds of Amoorland, in the same latitude as Germany. We find that there are forty-four terrestrial species (omitting the bats, the seals, and other marine animals), and of these no less than twenty-six are identical with European species, and twelve or thirteen more are closely allied representatives, leaving only five or six which are peculiarly Asiatic. We can hardly have a more convincing proof of the essential oneness of the mammalia of Europe and Northern Asia.

In Northern Africa we do not find so many European species (though even here they are very numerous) because a considerable number of West Asiatic and desert forms occur. Having, however, shown that Europe and Western Asia have almost identical animals, we may treat all these as really European, and we shall then be able to compare the quadrupeds of North Africa with those of Europe and West Asia. Taking those of Algeria as the best known, we find that there are thirty-three species identical with those of Europe and West Asia, while twenty-four more, though distinct, are closely allied, belonging to the same genera; thus making a total of fifty-seven of European type. On the other hand, we have seven species which are either identical with species of tropical Africa or allied to them, and six more which are especially characteristic of the African and Asiatic deserts which form a kind of neutral zone between the temperate and tropical regions. If now we consider that Algeria and the adjacent countries bordering the Mediterranean form part of Africa, while they are separated from Europe by a wide sea and are only connected with Asia by a narrow isthmus, we cannot but feel surprised at the wonderful preponderance of the European and West Asiatic elements in the mammalia which inhabit the district.

The Range of British Birds.—As it is very important that no doubt should exist as to the limits of the zoological

region of which Europe forms a part, we will now examine the birds, in order to see how far they agree in their distribution with the mammalia. Of late years great attention has been paid to the distribution of European and Asiatic birds, many ornithologists having travelled in North Africa, in Palestine, in Asia Minor, in Persia, in Siberia, in Mongolia, and in China; so that we are now able to determine the exact ranges of many species in a manner that would have been impossible a few years ago. These ranges are given for all British species in the new edition of Yarrell's History of British Birds edited by Professor Newton, while those of all European birds are given in still more detail in Mr. Dresser's beautiful work on the birds of Europe. In order to confine our examination within reasonable limits, and at the same time give it the interest attaching to familiar objects, we will take the whole series of British Passeres or perching birds given in Professor Newton's work (118 in number) and arrange them in series according to the extent of their range. These include not only the permanent residents and regular migrants to our country, but also those which occasionally straggle here, so that it really comprises a large proportion of all European birds.

I. British Birds which extend to North Africa and Central or North-east Asia.
1. Lanius collurio Red backed Shrike (also all Africa).
2. Oriolus Galbula Golden Oriole (also all Africa).
3. Turdus musicus Song-Thrush.
4. ,, iliacus Red-wing.
5. ,, pilaris Fieldfare.
6. Monticola saxatilis Blue rock Thrush.
7. Ruticilla suecica Bluethroat (also India in winter).
8. Saxicola rubicola Stonechat (also India in winter).
9. ,, œnanthe Wheatear (also N. America).
10. Acrocephalus arundinaceus Great Reed-Warbler.
11. Sylvia curruca Lesser Whitethroat.
12. Parus major Great Titmouse.
13. Motacilla sulphurea Grey Wagtail (also China and Malaya).
14. ,, raii Yellow Wagtail.
15. Anthus trivialis Tree Pipit.
16. ,, spiloletta Water Pipit.
17. ,, campestris Tawny Pipit.
18. Alauda arvensis Skylark.
19. ,, cristata Crested Lark.
20. Emberiza schœniclus Reed Bunting.
21. ,, citrinella Yellow-hammer.
22. Fringilla montifringilla Brambling.
23. Passer montanus Tree Sparrow (also S. Asia).
24. ,, domesticus House Sparrow.
25. Coccothraustes vulgaris Hawfinch.
26. Carduelis spinus Siskin (also China).
27. Loxia curvirostra Crossbill.
28. Sturnus vulgaris Starling.
29. Pyrrhocorax graculus Chough.
30. Corvus corone Crow.
31. Hirundo rustica Swallow (all Africa and Asia).
32. Cotyle riparia Sand Martin (also India and N. America).
II. British Birds which range to Central or North-east Asia.
1. Lanius excubitor Great Grey Shrike.
2. Turdus varius White's Thrush (also to Japan).
3. ,, atrigularis Black-throated Thrush.
4. Acrocephalus nævius Grasshopper Warbler.
5. Phylloscopus superciliosus Yellow-browed Warbler.
6. Certhia familiaris Tree-creeper.
7. Parus cœruleus Blue Titmouse.
8. ,, ater Coal Titmouse.
9. ,, palustris Marsh Titmouse.
10. Acredula caudata Long-tailed Titmouse.
11. Ampelis garrulus Wax-wing.
12. Anthus richardi Richard's Pipit.
13. Alauda alpestris Shore Lark (also N. America).
14. Plectrophanes nivalis Snow-Bunting (also N. America).
15. ,, lapponicus Lapland Bunting.
16. Emberiza rustica Rustic Bunting (also China).
17. ,, pusilla Little Bunting.
18. Linota linaria Mealy Redpole (also N. America).
19. Pyrrhula erythrina Scarlet Grosbeak (also N. India, China).
20. ,, enucleator Pine Grosbeak (also N. America).
21. Loxia bifasciata Two-barred Crossbill.
22. Pastor roseus Rose-coloured Starling (also India).
23. Corvus corax Raven (also N. America).
24. Pica rustica Magpie.
25. Nucifraga caryocatactes Nutcracker.
III. British Birds ranging into N. Africa and W. Asia.
1. Lanius minor Lesser Grey Shrike.
2. ,, auriculatus Woodchat (also Tropical Africa).
3. Muscicapa grisola Spotted Flycatcher (also E. and S. Africa).
4. ,, atricapilla Pied Flycatcher (also Central Africa).
5. Turdus viscivorus Mistletoe-Thrush (N. India in winter).
6. ,, merula Blackbird.
7. ,, torquatus Ring Ouzel.
8. Accentor modularis Hedge Sparrow.
9. Erithacus rubecula Redbreast.
10. Daulias luscinia Nightingale.
11. Ruticilla phænicurus Redstart.
12. ,, tithys Black Redstart.
13. Saxicola rubetra Whinchat.
14. Aëdon galactodes Rufous Warbler.
15. Acrocephalus streperus Reed Warbler.
16. ,, schænobenus Sedge Warbler.
17. Melizophilus undatus Dartford Warbler.
18. Sylvia rufa Greater Whitethroat.
19. ,, salicaria Garden Warbler.
20. ,, atricapilla Blackcap.
21. ,, orphea Orphean Warbler.
22. Phylloscopus sibilatrix Wood Wren.
23. ,, trochilus Willow Wren.
24. ,, collybita Chiffchaff.
25. Regulus cristatus Golden-crested Wren.
26. ,, ignicapillus Fire-crested Wren.
27. Troglodytes parvulus Wren.
28. Sitta cæsia Nuthatch.
29. Motacilla alba White Wagtail (also W. Africa).
30. ,, flava Blue-headed Wagtail.
31. Anthus pratensis Meadow-Pipit.
32. Alauda arborea Woodlark.
33. Calandrella brachydactyla Short-toed Lark.
34. Emberiza miliaria Common Bunting.
35. ,, cirlus Cirl Bunting.
36. ,, hortulana Ortolan.
37. Fringilla cœlebs Chaffinch.
38. Coccothraustes chloris Greenfinch.
39. Serinus hortulanus Serin.
40. Carduelis elegans Goldfinch.
41. Linota cannabina Linnet.
42. Corvus monedula Jackdaw.
43. Chelidon urbica House-Martin.
IV. British Birds ranging to North Africa.
1. Hypolais icterina Icterine Warbler.
2. Acrocephalus aquaticus Aquatic Warbler.
3. ,, luscinioides Savi's Warbler.
4. Motacilla lugubris Pied Wagtail.
5. Pyrrhula europæa Bullfinch.
6. Garrulus glandarius Jay.
V. British Birds ranging to West Asia only.
1. Accentor collaris Alpine Accentor.
2. Muscicapa parva Red-breasted Flycatcher (to N. W. India).
3. Panurus biarmicus Bearded Titmouse.
4. Melanocorypha sibirica White-winged Lark.
5. Euspiza melanocephala Black-headed Bunting.
6. Linota flavirostris Twite.
7. Corvus frugilegus Rook.
VI. British Birds confined to Europe.
1. Cinclus aquaticus Dipper (closely allied races inhabit other parts of the Palæarctic Region).
2. Parus cristatus Crested Titmouse.
3. Anthus obscurus Rock Pipit.
4. Linota rufescens Lesser Redpoll (closely allied races in N. Asia and N. America).
5. Loxia pityopsittacus Parrot Crossbill (a closely allied form in N. Asia).

We find, that out of a total of 118 British Passeres there are: