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

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

The Ampelidæ, represented in Europe by the waxwing, are a small family, characteristic of the Nearctic and Palæarctic regions, but extending southward to Costa Rica and the West Indian islands. The genera are distributed as follows:—

(¹⁵³⁹) Ampelis (3 sp.), the Palæarctic and Nearctic regions, and southward to Guatemala; (¹³⁶⁰) Ptilogonys (2 sp.), Central America; (¹⁴⁴²) Dulus (2 sp.), West Indian Islands; (¹³⁶¹) Phænopepla (1 sp.), Mexico and the Gila Valley.

Family 30.—HIRUNDINIDÆ. (9 Genera, 91 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. 2. 3. 4	1. 2. 3. 4	1. 2. 3. 4

The Hirundinidæ, or Swallows, are true cosmopolites. Although they do not range quite so far north (except as stragglers) as a few of the extreme polar birds, yet they pass beyond the Arctic Circle both in America and Europe, Cotyle riparia having been observed in the Parry Islands, while Hirundo rustica has been seen both in Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla. Cotyle riparia and Chelidon urbica also breed in great numbers in northern Lapland, latitude 67° to 70° north. Many of the species also, have an enormous range, the common swallow (Hirundo rustica) inhabiting Europe, Asia and Africa, from Lapland to the Cape of Good Hope and to the Moluccas. The genera of swallows are not well determined, a number having been established of which the value is uncertain. I admit the following, referring by numbers to the Hand List:—

(^{215—221 226—228}) Hirundo (40 sp.), the range of the entire family; (^{222 223}) Psalidoprogne (10 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (²²⁴) Phedina (1 sp.), Madagascar and Mascarene Islands; (²²⁵) Petrochelidon (5 sp.), North and South America and Cape of Good Hope; (^{220—232 ?234}) Atticora (8 sp.), the Neotropical region and ? Australia; (^{235 237}) Cotyle (11 sp.), Europe, India, Africa, North America, Antilles and Ecuador; (²³⁶) Stelgidopteryx (5 sp.), La Plata to United States; (^{238 and 239}) Chelidon (6 sp.), Palæarctic region, Nepal, Borneo; (^240—242) Progne (5 sp.), all North and South America.

Family 31.—ICTERIDÆ. (24 Genera, 110 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	— — — —	— — — —	— — — —	— — — —

The Icteridæ, or American hang-nests, range over the whole continent, from Patagonia and the Falkland Islands to the Arctic Circle. Only about 20 species inhabit the Nearctic region, while, as usual with exclusively American families, the larger proportion of the genera and species are found in the tropical parts of South America. The genera adopted by Messrs. Sclater and Salvin are the following:—