The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...
The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ... The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...
—;204 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [part in.one to East Africa, while twenty-seven are peculiar to Palestine.It is evident therefore that an unusual number of East Africanbirds have extended their range to this congenial district, butmost of these are desert species and hardly true Ethiopians,and do not much interfere with the general Palsearctic characterof the whole assemblage.As an illustration of how wide-spreadare many of the Palsearctic forms, we may add, that seventyninespecies of land birds and fifty-five of water birds, are commonto Palestine and Britain. The Oriental and Ethiopiangenera Pycnonotus and Ncctarinea are found here, while Bcssornisand Dromolcca are characteristically Ethiopian. Almost all theother genera are Palsearctic.Persia is another remote regiongenerally associated with theidea of Oriental and almost tropical forms, but which yet undoubtedlybelongs to the Palsearctic region. Mr. Blanford's recentcollections in this country, with other interestinginformation, issummarised in Mr. Elwes's paper on the " Geographical Distributionof Asiatic Birds " (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 647). No lessthan 127 species are found also in Europe, and thirty-sevenothers belong to European genera ; seven are allied to birds ofCentral Asia or Siberia, and fifteen to those of North-East Africa,while only three are purely of Indian affinities. This shows apreponderance of nearly nine-tenths of Palsearcticforms, whichis fully as much as can be expected in any country near thelimits of a great region.Reptiles and Amphibia.—The climatal conditions being heremore favourable to these groups, and the genera being often oflimited range, we find some peculiar, and several very interestingforms.Fvhinechis, a genus of Colubrine snakes, is found only inSouth Europe ; Trogonophis, one of the Amphisbsenianscurious snake-like lizards—is known only from North AfricaPsammosaurus, belonging to the water lizards (Varanidse) isfound in North Africa and North-West India ;a genus of Lacertidse, is peculiar to South Europe ;Psammodromus,Hyalosaurus,belonging to the family Zonuridre, is a lizard of especial interest,as it inhabits North Africa while its nearest ally is theOpliisawrus or " glass snake " of North America ; the family of
—chap, x.] THE PAL^ARCTIC REGION. 205the scinks is represented by Scincus found inArabia.North Africa andBesides these Seps, a genus of sand lizards (Sepidae) andAgarna, a genus of Agamidae, are abundant and characteristic.Of Amphibia we have Seiranota, a genus of salamandersfound only in Italy and Dalmatia ;Chioglossa, in Portugal, andGeotriton, in Italy, belonging to the same family, are equallypeculiar to the sub-region.Freshtvater Fish,—One of the most interesting is Tellia, agenus of Cyprinodontidae found only in alpine pools in theAtlas mountains. Paraphoxinius, found in South-East Europe,and Chondrostoma, in Europe and Western Asia, genera of Cyprimidae,seem almost peculiar to this sub-region.Insects— Lepidoptera.—Two genera of butterflies, Thais andDoritis, are wholly confined to this sub-region, the formerranging over all Southern Europe, thelatter confined to EasternEurope and Asia Minor. Anthocharis and Zegris are very characteristicof it, the latter only extending into South Eussia,while Danais, Charaxes, and Libythca are tropical genera unknownin other parts of Europe.Coleoptera.—This sub-region is very rich in many groups ofColeoptera, of which a few only can be noticed here. AmongCarabidse it possesses Procerus and Procrustes, almost exclusively,while Brachinus,Cymindis, Lcbia, Graphipterus, Scarites, Chlcenius,Calathus, and many others, are abundant and characteristic.Among Lamellicorns—Copridae, G-laphyridae, Melolonthidae, andCetoniidae abound.Buprestidae are plentiful, the genera Julodis,Acmccodera, Buprestis, and Sphenoptera being characteristic.Among Malacoderms—Cebrionidae, Lampyridae, and Malachiidaeabound.The Tenebrioid Heteromera are very varied and abundant,and give a character to the sub-region. The Mylabridse,Cantharidae, and OZdemeridae are also characteristic Of theimmense number of CurculionidseBrachycerus,Lixus, and Acalles may be mentioned asThylacites,among the most prominent.Of Longicorns there are few genera especially characteristic,but perhaps Prinobms, Purpuricenus, Hesperophanes,and Parmena are most so.Of the remaining families, we maymention Clythridae, Hispidae, and Cassididae as being abundant.
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—chap, x.] THE PAL^ARCTIC REGION. 205<strong>the</strong> scinks is represented by Scincus found inArabia.North Africa andBesides <strong>the</strong>se Seps, a genus <strong>of</strong> sand lizards (Sepidae) andAgarna, a genus <strong>of</strong> Agamidae, are abundant and characteristic.Of Amphibia we have Seiranota, a genus <strong>of</strong> salamandersfound only in Italy and Dalmatia ;Chioglossa, in Portugal, andGeotriton, in Italy, belonging to <strong>the</strong> same family, are equallypeculiar to <strong>the</strong> sub-region.Freshtvater Fish,—One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most interesting is Tellia, agenus <strong>of</strong> Cyprinodontidae found only in alpine pools in <strong>the</strong>Atlas mountains. Paraphoxinius, found in South-East Europe,and Chondrostoma, in Europe and Western Asia, genera <strong>of</strong> Cyprimidae,seem almost peculiar to this sub-region.Insects— Lepidoptera.—Two genera <strong>of</strong> butterflies, Thais andDoritis, are wholly confined to this sub-region, <strong>the</strong> formerranging over all Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Europe, <strong>the</strong>latter confined to EasternEurope and Asia Minor. Anthocharis and Zegris are very characteristic<strong>of</strong> it, <strong>the</strong> latter only extending into South Eussia,while Danais, Charaxes, and Libythca are tropical genera unknownin o<strong>the</strong>r parts <strong>of</strong> Europe.Coleoptera.—This sub-region is very rich in many groups <strong>of</strong>Coleoptera, <strong>of</strong> which a few only can be noticed here. AmongCarabidse it possesses Procerus and Procrustes, almost exclusively,while Brachinus,Cymindis, Lcbia, Graphipterus, Scarites, Chlcenius,Calathus, and many o<strong>the</strong>rs, are abundant and characteristic.Among Lamellicorns—Copridae, G-laphyridae, Melolonthidae, andCetoniidae abound.Buprestidae are plentiful, <strong>the</strong> genera Julodis,Acmccodera, Buprestis, and Sphenoptera being characteristic.Among Malacoderms—Cebrionidae, Lampyridae, and Malachiidaeabound.<strong>The</strong> Tenebrioid Heteromera are very varied and abundant,and give a character to <strong>the</strong> sub-region. <strong>The</strong> Mylabridse,Cantharidae, and OZdemeridae are also characteristic Of <strong>the</strong>immense number <strong>of</strong> CurculionidseBrachycerus,Lixus, and Acalles may be mentioned asThylacites,among <strong>the</strong> most prominent.Of Longicorns <strong>the</strong>re are few genera especially characteristic,but perhaps Prinobms, Purpuricenus, Hesperophanes,and Parmena are most so.Of <strong>the</strong> remaining families, we maymention Clythridae, Hispidae, and Cassididae as being abundant.
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