Island Life; Or, The Phenomena and Causes of Insular Faunas and Floras. Alfred Russel WallaceЧитать онлайн книгу.

oneness of the mammalia of Europe and Northern Asia.

In Northern Africa we do not find so many European species (though even here they are very numerous) because a considerable number of West Asiatic and desert forms occur. Having, however, shown that Europe and Western Asia have almost identical animals, we may treat all these as really European, and we shall then be able to compare the quadrupeds of North Africa with those of Europe and West Asia. Taking those of Algeria as the best known, we find that there are thirty-three species identical with those of Europe and West Asia, while twenty-four more, though distinct, are closely allied, belonging to the same genera; thus making a total of fifty-seven of European type. On the other hand, we have seven species which are either identical with species of tropical Africa or allied to them, and six more which are especially characteristic of the African and Asiatic deserts which form a kind of neutral zone between the temperate and tropical regions. If now we consider that Algeria and the adjacent countries bordering the Mediterranean form part of Africa, while they are separated from Europe by a wide sea and are only connected with Asia by a narrow isthmus, we cannot but feel surprised at the wonderful preponderance of the European and West Asiatic elements in the mammalia which inhabit the district.

The Range of British Birds.—As it is very important that no doubt should exist as to the limits of the zoological region of which Europe forms a part, we will now examine the birds, in order to see how far they agree in their distribution with the mammalia. Of late years great attention has been paid to the distribution of European and Asiatic birds, many ornithologists having travelled in North Africa, in Palestine, in Asia Minor, in Persia, in Siberia, in Mongolia, and in China; so that we are now able to determine the exact ranges of many species in a manner that would have been impossible a few years ago. These ranges are given for all British species in the new edition of Yarrell's History of British Birds edited by Professor Newton, while those of all European birds are given in still more detail in Mr. Dresser's beautiful work on the birds of Europe. In order to confine our examination within reasonable limits, and at the same time give it the interest attaching to familiar objects, we will take the whole series of British Passeres or perching birds given in Professor Newton's work (118 in number) and arrange them in series according to the extent of their range. These include not only the permanent residents and regular migrants to our country, but also those which occasionally straggle here, so that it really comprises a large proportion of all European birds.

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I. British Birds which extend to North Africa and Central or North-east Asia.
1. Lanius collurio	Red backed Shrike (also all Africa).
2. Oriolus Galbula	Golden Oriole (also all Africa).
3. Turdus musicus	Song-Thrush.
4. ,, iliacus	Red-wing.
5. ,, pilaris	Fieldfare.
6. Monticola saxatilis	Blue rock Thrush.
7. Ruticilla suecica	Bluethroat (also India in winter).
8. Saxicola rubicola	Stonechat (also India in winter).
9. ,, œnanthe	Wheatear (also N. America).
10. Acrocephalus arundinaceus	Great Reed-Warbler.
11. Sylvia curruca	Lesser Whitethroat.
12. Parus major	Great Titmouse.
13. Motacilla sulphurea	Grey Wagtail (also China and Malaya).
14. ,, raii	Yellow Wagtail.
15. Anthus trivialis	Tree Pipit.
16. ,, spiloletta	Water Pipit.
17. ,, campestris	Tawny Pipit.
18. Alauda arvensis	Skylark.
19. ,, cristata	Crested Lark.
20. Emberiza schœniclus	Reed Bunting.
21. ,, citrinella	Yellow-hammer.
22. Fringilla montifringilla	Brambling.
23. Passer montanus	Tree Sparrow (also S. Asia).
24. ,, domesticus	House Sparrow.
25. Coccothraustes vulgaris	Hawfinch.
26. Carduelis spinus	Siskin (also China).
27. Loxia curvirostra	Crossbill.
28. Sturnus vulgaris	Starling.
29. Pyrrhocorax graculus	Chough.
30. Corvus corone	Crow.
31. Hirundo rustica	Swallow (all Africa and Asia).
32. Cotyle riparia	Sand Martin (also India and N. America).
II. British Birds which range to Central or North-east Asia.
1. Lanius excubitor	Great Grey Shrike.
2. Turdus varius	White's Thrush (also to Japan).
3. ,, atrigularis	Black-throated Thrush.
4. Acrocephalus nævius	Grasshopper Warbler.
5. Phylloscopus superciliosus	Yellow-browed Warbler.
6. Certhia familiaris	Tree-creeper.
7. Parus cœruleus	Blue Titmouse.
8. ,, ater	Coal Titmouse.
9. ,, palustris	Marsh Titmouse.
10. Acredula caudata	Long-tailed Titmouse.
11. Ampelis garrulus