_Birds._--It appears to have been the opinion of many {183}naturalists that the Palæarctic region could not be well characterised by its peculiar genera of birds. In Mr. Sclater's celebrated paper already referred to, he remarks, "It cannot be denied that the ornithology of the Palæarctic region is more easily characterised by what it has not than by what it has," and this has been quite recently quoted by Mr. Allen, in his essay on the distribution of North American birds, as if it represented our present knowledge of the subject. But, thanks to the labours of Dr. Jerdon, Mr. Swinhoe, Père David and others, we have now learnt that a large number of birds included in the Indian list, are either mere winter emigrants from Central Asia, or only inhabit the higher ranges of the Himalayas, and thus really belong to the Palæarctic region. The result is, that a host of genera are now seen to be either exclusively or characteristically Palæarctic, and we have no further difficulty in giving positive ornithological characters to the region. In the tables appended to this chapter, all these truly Palæarctic genera will be found printed in _italics_, with an indication of their distribution, which will sometimes be found more fully given under the respective families in the fourth part of this work. Referring to this table for details we shall here summarise the results. Of the Sylviidæ or warblers, no less than fourteen genera are either exclusively or characteristically Palæarctic, of which _Locustella_, _Sylvia_, _Curruca_ and _Erithacus_ are good examples. Of the oriental family Timaliidæ, the genus _Pterorhinus_ is Palæarctic. Of Panuridæ, or reedlings, there are four peculiar genera (comprising almost the whole family); of Certhiidæ, or creepers, one--_Tichodroma_--which extends southward to the Abyssinian highlands. Of Paridæ, or tits, one--_Acredula_; of Corvidæ, or crows, four--_Pica_ (containing our magpie) being a good example; of Fringillidæ, or finches and buntings, twelve, among which _Acanthis_, _Pyrrhula_ and _Emberiza_ are good illustrations; of Alaudidæ, or larks, there are two peculiar genera. Leaving the Passeres we next come to peculiar forms among the gallinaceous birds: _Syrrhaptes_ among the Pteroclidæ or sand grouse; four genera of Tetraonidæ or grouse and partridges, and five of Phasianidæ or pheasants, comprising some of the most magnificent birds in the world. Lastly {184}among the far-wandering aquatic birds we have no less than five genera which are more especially Palæarctic,--_Ortygometra_, the corn-crake, and _Otis_, the great bustard, being typical examples. We may add to these, several genera almost confined to this region, such as _Garrulus_ (jays), _Fringilla_ (true finches), _Yunx_ (wrynecks) and some others; so that in proportion to its total generic forms a very large number are found to be peculiar or characteristic.