GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. __________________________________/\__________________________________ / \ NEOTROPICAL| NEARCTIC |PALÆARCTIC | ETHIOPIAN | ORIENTAL | AUSTRALIAN SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS. -----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+------------ | | | | | -- -- -- --|-- -- -- --|-- -- -- --|1. 2. 3. 4 |1. 2. 3. 4 |1. 2. 3 -- | | | | | The Ploceidæ, or Weaver-finches, are especially characteristic of the Ethiopian region, where most of the genera and nearly four-fifths of the species are found; the remainder being pretty equally divided between the Oriental and Australian regions. Like the true finches these have never been properly studied, and it is exceedingly difficult to ascertain what genera are natural and how far those of Australia and Africa are distinct. The following enumeration must therefore be taken as altogether tentative and provisional. When the genera adopted differ from those of the _Hand List_ they will be referred to by numbers. _Textor_ (5 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (1650-1654 1657) _Hyphantornis_ (32 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (1655 1656) _Symplectes_ (8 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; _Malimbus_ (9 sp.), West Africa; (1659 1661) _Ploceus_ (6 sp.), West and East Africa, the Oriental region (excluding Philippines); (1660) _Nelicurvius_ (1 sp.), Madagascar; _Foudia_ (12 sp.), Madagascar and Mascarene Islands, Tropical Africa; (1663 1664) _Sporopipes_ (2 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (1665-1667) _Pyromelana_ (14 sp.), Tropical and South Africa, Abyssinia to 10,500 feet; _Philetærus_ (1 sp.), South Africa; _Nigrita_ (7 sp.), West Africa to Upper Nile; _Plocepasser_ (4 sp.), East and South Africa; (1672-1674) _Vidua_ (7 sp.), Tropical and South Africa (Plate V., Vol. I., p. 264); (1675-1677) _Coliuspasser_ (9 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; _Chera_ (1 sp.), South Africa; _Spermospiza_ (2 sp.), West Africa; _Pyrenestes_ (6 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (1682-1687 1689 1692 1693 1698) _Estrilda_ (26 sp.), Tropical and South Africa, India, Burmah, and Java to Australia; (1688 1690 1691 1695 1696) {287}_Pytelia_ (24 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (1694) _Hypargos_ (2 sp.), Mozambique and Madagascar; (1697) _Emblema_ (1 sp.), North-west Australia (1699 1712-1717) _Amadina_ (15 sp.), Tropical and South Africa, Moluccas to Australia and the Samoa Islands; (1700 1701 1710) _Spermestes_ (8 sp.), Tropical Africa and Madagascar; (1702) _Amauresthes_ (1 sp.), East and West Africa; (1703 1707-1709 1711) _Munia_ (30 sp.), Oriental region to Timor and New Guinea; (1704) _Donacola_ (3 sp.), Australia; (1705 1706) _Poephila_ (6 sp.), Australia; (1718-1721) _Erythrura_ (7 sp.), Sumatra to Java, Moluccas, Timor, New Guinea, and Fiji