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

;;chap, ii.] BIRDS. 23India and China.—In the peninsula of India and in Chinagreat numbers of northern birds arrive during September andOctober, and leave from March to May. Among the smallerbirds are wagtails, pipits, larks, stonechats, warblers, thrushes,buntings, shrikes, starlings, hoopoes, and quails. Some speciesof cranes and storks, many ducks, and greatnumbers of Scolopacidcealso visit India in winter ;and to prey upon thesecome a band of rapacious birds— the peregrine falcon, the hobby,kestrel, common sparrowhawk, harrier,and the short-eared owl.These birds are almost all natives of Europe and "Western Asiathey spread over all northern and centralIndia, mingling withthe sedentary birds of the oriental fauna, and give tothe ornithologyof Hindostan at this season quite a European aspect.The peculiar species of the higher Himalayas do not as a ruledescend to the plains in winter, but merely come lower down themountains; and in southern India and Ceylon comparativelyfew of these migratory birds appear.In China the migratory birds follow generally the coast line,coming southwards in winter from eastern Siberia and northernJapan ; while a few purely tropical forms travel northwards insummer to Japan, and on the mainland as far as the valley ofthe Amoor.North America.—The migrations of birds in North Americahave been carefully studied by resident naturalists, and presentsome interesting features. The birds of the eastern parts ofNorth America are pre-eminently migratory, a much smaller proportionbeing permanent residents than in corresponding latitudesin Europe.Thus, in Massachusetts there are only about 30 speciesof birds which are resident all the year, while the regularsummer visitors are 106. Comparing with this our own country,though considerably further north,the proportions are reversedthere being 140 residents and 63 summer visitors. This differenceis clearly due to the much greater length and severity ofthe winter, and the greater heat of summer, in America thanwith us. The number of permanent residents increases prettyregularly as we go southward ; but the number of birds at anylocality during the breeding season seems to increase as we go