The Geographical Distribution of Animals, Volume 2 / With a study of the relations of living and extinct faunas as elucidating the past changes of the Earth's surface

by Alfred Russel Wallace

Family 34.—PLOCEIDÆ. (29 Genera, 252 species.)

General Distribution.
Neotropical Sub-regions.	Nearctic Sub-regions.	Palæarctic Sub-regions.	Ethiopian Sub-regions.	Oriental Sub-regions.	Australian Sub-regions.
— — — —	— — — —	— — — —	1. 2. 3. 4	1. 2. 3. 4	1. 2. 3 —

The Ploceidæ, or Weaver-finches, are especially characteristic of the Ethiopian region, where most of the genera and nearly four-fifths of the species are found; the remainder being pretty equally divided between the Oriental and Australian regions. Like the true finches these have never been properly studied, and it is exceedingly difficult to ascertain what genera are natural and how far those of Australia and Africa are distinct. The following enumeration must therefore be taken as altogether tentative and provisional. When the genera adopted differ from those of the Hand List they will be referred to by numbers.

Textor (5 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (^{1650—1654 1657}) Hyphantornis (32 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (^{1655 1656}) Symplectes (8 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; Malimbus (9 sp.), West Africa; (^{1659 1661}) Ploceus (6 sp.), West and East Africa, the Oriental region (excluding Philippines); (¹⁶⁶⁰) Nelicurvius (1 sp.), Madagascar; Foudia (12 sp.), Madagascar and Mascarene Islands, Tropical Africa; (^{1663 1664}) Sporopipes (2 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (^1665—1667) Pyromelana (14 sp.), Tropical and South Africa, Abyssinia to 10,500 feet; Philetærus (1 sp.), South Africa; Nigrita (7 sp.), West Africa to Upper Nile; Plocepasser (4 sp.), East and South Africa; (^1672—1674) Vidua (7 sp.), Tropical and South Africa (Plate V., Vol. I., p. 264); (^1675—1677) Coliuspasser (9 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; Chera (1 sp.), South Africa; Spermospiza (2 sp.), West Africa; Pyrenestes (6 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (^{1682—1687 1689 1692 1693 1698}) Estrilda (26 sp.), Tropical and South Africa, India, Burmah, and Java to Australia; (^{1688 1690 1691 1695 1696}) Pytelia (24 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (¹⁶⁹⁴) Hypargos (2 sp.), Mozambique and Madagascar; (¹⁶⁹⁷) Emblema (1 sp.), North-west Australia (^{1699 1712—1717}) Amadina (15 sp.), Tropical and South Africa, Moluccas to Australia and the Samoa Islands; (^{1700 1701 1710}) Spermestes (8 sp.), Tropical Africa and Madagascar; (¹⁷⁰²) Amauresthes (1 sp.), East and West Africa; (^{1703 1707—1709 1711}) Munia (30 sp.), Oriental region to Timor and New Guinea; (¹⁷⁰⁴) Donacola (3 sp.), Australia; (^{1705 1706}) Poephila (6 sp.), Australia; (^1718—1721) Erythrura (7 sp.), Sumatra to Java, Moluccas, Timor, New Guinea, and Fiji Islands; (¹⁷²²) Hypochera (3 sp.), Tropical and South Africa.

Family 35.—STURNIDÆ. (29 Genera, 124 Species.)

General Distribution.
Neotropical Sub-regions.	Nearctic Sub-regions.	Palæarctic Sub-regions.	Ethiopian Sub-regions.	Oriental Sub-regions.	Australian Sub-regions.
— — — —	— — — —	1. 2. 3. 4	1. 2. 3. 4	1. 2. 3. 4	1 — 3. 4

The Sturnidæ or Starlings, are a highly characteristic Old-World group, extending to every part of the great Eastern continent and its islands, and over the Pacific Ocean to the Samoa Islands and New Zealand, yet wholly absent from the mainland of Australia. The family appears to be tolerably well-defined, and the following genera are generally considered to belong to it: (^{1558 1559 1562}) Eulabes (13 sp.), the Oriental region to South-west China, Hainan, and Java,—and Flores, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in the Australian region; Ampeliceps (1 sp.), Tenasserim, Burmah, and Cochin China; Gymnops (1 sp.), Philippine Islands; Basilornis (2 sp.), Celebes and Ceram; Pastor (1 sp.), South-east Europe to India, Ceylon, and Burmah; Acridotheres (7 sp.), the whole Oriental region and Celebes; (^{1568 1569}) Sturnia (12 sp.), the whole Oriental region, North China, Japan, and Siberia, Celebes; Dilophus (1 sp.), South Africa; Sturnus (6 sp.), Palæarctic region, to India and South China in winter; Sturnopastor (4 sp.), India to Burmah and East Java; Creadion (2 sp.), New Zealand; Heterolocha (1 sp.), New Zealand; (¹⁵²⁰) Callæas (2 sp.), New Zealand; Buphaga (2 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; Euryceros (1 sp.), Madagascar (see Plate VI., Vol. I., p. 278.) This genus and the last should perhaps form distinct families. (¹⁵⁷⁷) Juida (5 sp.), Central, West, and South Africa; (¹⁵⁷⁸) Lamprocolius (20 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; Cinnyricinclus (2 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; Onychognathus (2 sp.), West Africa; (¹⁵⁸¹) Spreo (4 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (^1582—1585) Amydrus (7 sp.), South and East Africa, Palestine; Aplonis (9 sp.), New Caledonia to the Tonga Islands; (^1587—1589) Calornis (18 sp.), the whole Malay Archipelago and eastward to the Ladrone and Samoa Islands; (¹⁵⁹⁰) Enodes (1 sp.), Celebes; Scissirostrum (1 sp.), Celebes; (¹⁵⁹²) Saroglossa (1 sp.), Himalayas; (¹⁵⁹³) Hartlaubius (1 sp), Madagascar; Fregilupus (1 sp.), Bourbon, but it has recently become extinct; (³⁶³) Falculia (1 sp)., Madagascar.

Family 36.—ARTAMIDÆ. (1 Genus, 17 Species.)

General Distribution.
Neotropical Sub-regions.	Nearctic Sub-regions.	Palæarctic Sub-regions.	Ethiopian Sub-regions.	Oriental Sub-regions.	Australian Sub-regions.
— — — —	— — — —	— — — —	— — — —?	1. 2. 3. 4	1. 2. 3 —

The Artamidæ, or Swallow-shrikes, are a curious group of birds, ranging over the greater part of the Oriental and Australian regions as far east as the Fiji Islands and south to Tasmania. Only a single species inhabits India, and they are more plentiful in Australia than in any other locality. The only well-marked genus is Artamus.