The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...

chap, x.] THE PAL^ARCTIC REGION. 193only two. Myogalc, the desman, is a curious long-snoutedInsectivorous animal somewhat resembling the water-rat in itshabits. There are two species, one found only on the banks ofstreams in the French Pyrenees, the other on the great rivers ofSouthern Russia. The other peculiar genus, Eupicapra (thechamois of the Alps), is found on all the high mountains ofCentral Europe. Almost peculiar are Spalax (the mole-rat)found only in Eastern Europe and Western Siberia ; and Saiga,an extraordinary large-nosed antelope which has a nearlysimilar distribution.Highly characteristic forms, which inhabitnearly every part of the sub-region, are, Talpa (the mole),Erinaceus, (the hedgehog), Sorex (the shrew), Meles (the badger),Ursus (the bear), Canis (the wolf and fox), Mustela (the weasel),Lutra (the otter), Arvicola (the vole), Myoxus (the dormouse),and Lepits (the hare and rabbit) ; while Bos (the wild bull) was,until exterminated by man, no doubt equally characteristic.Other genera inhabiting the sub-region will be found ingiven at the end of this chapter.the listBirds.—It is difficult to name the birds that are most characteristicof this sub-region, because so many of the most familiarand abundant are emigrants from the south, and belong togroups that have a different range. There is peril aps not asingle genus wholly confined to it, and very few that have notequal claims to be placed elsewhere.Among the more characteristicwe may name Turdus (the thrushes), Sylvia (the warblers),Panurus (the reedling) Parus (the tits), Anthus (thepipits), Motacilla (the wagtails), which are perhaps more abundanthere than in any other part of the world, Emberiza (thebuntings), Plcrtrophanes (the snow buntings), Passer (the housesparrows), Loxia (the crossbills), Linota (the linnets), Pica (themagpies), Tetrao (grouse), Zagopus (ptarmigan) and many others.I am indebted to Mr. H. E. Dresser, who is personally acquaintedwith the ornithology of much of the North of Europe,for some valuable notes on the northern range of many Europeanbirds. Those which are characteristic of the extremeArctic zone, extending beyond 70° north latitude, and tolerablyabundant, are two falcons (Ealco gyrfalco and F. peregrinus) ;