Remarkable Contrasts in the Distribution of Animals--Britain and Japan--Australia and New Zealand--Bali and Lombok--Florida and Bahama Islands--Brazil and Africa--Borneo, Madagascar, and Celebes--Problems in Distribution to be found in every Country--Can be Solved only by the Combination of many distinct lines of inquiry, Biological and Physical--Islands offer the best Subjects for the Study of Distribution--Outline of the Subjects to be discussed in the Present Volume. _Pages_ 3-11 CHAPTER II THE ELEMENTARY FACTS OF DISTRIBUTION. Importance of Locality as an Essential Character of Species--Areas of Distribution--Extent and Limitations of Specific Areas--Specific Range of Birds--Generic Areas--Separate and Overlapping Areas--The Species of Tits as illustrating Areas of Distribution--The Distribution of the Species of Jays--Discontinuous Generic Areas--Peculiarities of Generic and Family Distribution--General Features of Overlapping and Discontinuous Areas--Restricted Areas of Families--The Distribution of Orders _Pages_ 12-30 {xii} CHAPTER III CLASSIFICATION OF THE FACTS OF DISTRIBUTION.--ZOOLOGICAL REGIONS The Geographical Divisions of the Globe do not Correspond to Zoological Divisions--The Range of British Mammals as Indicating a Zoological Region--Range of East Asian and North African Mammals--The Range of British Birds--Range of East Asian Birds--The Limits of the Palaearctic Region--Characteristic Features of the Palaearctic Region--Definition and Characteristic Groups of the Ethiopian Region--Of the Oriental Region--Of the Australian Region--Of the Nearctic Region--Of the Neotropical Region--Comparison of Zoological Regions with the Geographical Divisions of the Globe _Pages_ 31-54 CHAPTER IV EVOLUTION AS THE KEY TO DISTRIBUTION Importance of the Doctrine of Evolution--The Origin of New Species--Variation in Animals--The amount of Variation in North American Birds--How New Species Arise from a Variable Species--Definition and Origin of Genera--Cause of the Extinction of Species--The Rise and Decay of Species and Genera--Discontinuous Specific Areas, why Rare--Discontinuity of the Area of Parus Palustris--Discontinuity of Emberiza Schoeniclus--The European and Japanese Jays--Supposed examples of Discontinuity among North American Birds--Distribution and Antiquity of Families--Discontinuity a Proof of Antiquity--Concluding remarks _Pages_ 55-71 CHAPTER V THE POWERS OF DISPERSAL OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS Statement of the General Question of Dispersal--The Ocean as a Barrier to the Dispersal of Mammals--The Dispersal of Birds--The Dispersal of Reptiles--The Dispersal of Insects--The Dispersal of Land Mollusca--Great Antiquity of Land-shells--Causes Favouring the Abundance of Land-shells--The Dispersal of Plants--Special Adaptability of Seeds for Dispersal--Birds as Agents in the Dispersal of Seeds--Ocean Currents as Agents in Plant Dispersal--Dispersal along Mountain Chains--Antiquity of Plants as Effecting their Distribution