The Mniotiltidæ, or Wood-warblers, are an interesting group of small and elegant birds, allied to the preceding family and to the greenlets, and perhaps also to the warblers and tits of Europe. {279}They range over all North America from Panama to the Arctic regions, but do not extend far beyond the tropic in Southern America. They are almost as abundant in the Nearctic as in the Neotropical region; and considering the favourable conditions of existence in Tropical America, this fact, in connection with their absence from the South Temperate zone would lead us to suppose that they originated in North Temperate America, and subsequently spread southward into the tropics. This supposition is strengthened by the fact that their metropolis, in the breeding season, is to the north of the United States. The genera adopted by Messrs. Sclater and Salvin are as follows:-- (918) _Siurus_ (4 sp.), Venezuela and West Indies to Eastern States and Canada; _Mniotilta_ (1 sp.), Venezuela, Mexico, and Antilles to the Eastern States; _Parula_ (5 sp.), Brazil to Mexico, and the Eastern States, and Canada; _Protonotaria_ (1 sp.), Antilles to Ohio; _Helminthophaga_ (8 sp.), Columbia to Arctic America; _Helmintherus_ (2 sp.), Central America to Eastern States; _Perissoglossa_ (1 sp.), Antilles and Eastern States; _Dendroeca_ (33 sp.), Amazon to Antilles, and Arctic America, and south to Chili; _Oporornis_ (2 sp.), Guatemala to Eastern States; _Geothlypis_ (11 sp.), all North America and Brazil; _Myiodioctes_ (5 sp.), all North America and Columbia; _Basileuterus_ (22 sp.), Bolivia and Brazil to Mexico; _Setophaga_ (15 sp.), Brazil to Canada; _Ergaticus_ (2 sp.), Guatemala and Mexico; _Cardellina_ (1 sp.), Guatemala and Mexico; (1440) _Granatellus_ (3 sp.), Amazon to Mexico; (1441) _Teretristis_ (2 sp.), Cuba; (1439) _Icteria_ (2 sp.), Costa Rica and United States to Canada. FAMILY 28.--VIREONIDÆ. (7 Genera, 63 Species.) GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. __________________________________/\__________________________________ / \ NEOTROPICAL| NEARCTIC |PALÆARCTIC | ETHIOPIAN | ORIENTAL | AUSTRALIAN SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS. -----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+------------ | | | | | -- 2. 3. 4 |1. 2. 3. 4 |-- -- -- --|-- -- -- --|-- -- -- --|-- -- -- -- | | | | | (Messrs. Sclater and Salvin are followed for the Neotropical genera; Professor Baird and Mr. Allen for those of the Nearctic region.)