Island Life Part 2

1. Wild Cat Europe N. Africa Siberia, Afghanistan.

2. Fox Europe N. Africa Central Asia to Amoor.

3. Weasel Europe N. Africa Central Asia to Amoor.

4. Otter Europe N. Africa Siberia.

5. Badger Europe N. Africa Central Asia to Amoor.

6. Stag Europe N. Africa Central Asia to Amoor.

7. Hedgehog Europe -- Central Asia to Amoor.

8. Mole Europe -- Central Asia.

9. Squirrel Europe -- Central Asia to Amoor.

10. Dormouse Europe -- -- 11. Water-rat Europe -- Central Asia to Amoor.

12. Hare Europe -- W. Siberia, Persia.

13. Rabbit Europe N. Africa --

We thus see that out of thirteen of our commonest quadrupeds only one is confined to Europe, while seven are found also in Northern Africa, and eleven range into Siberia, most of them stretching quite across Asia to the valley of the Amoor on the extreme eastern side of that continent. Two of the above-named British species, the fox and weasel, are also inhabitants of the New World, being as common in the northern parts of North America as they are with us; but with these exceptions the entire range of our commoner species is given, and they clearly show that all Northern Asia and Northern Africa must be added to Europe in order to form the region which they collectively inhabit. If now we go into Central Europe and take, for example, the quadrupeds of Germany, we shall find that these too, although much more numerous, are confined to the same limits, except that some of the {34} more arctic kinds, as already stated, extend into the colder regions of North America.

_Range of East Asian and North African Mammals._--Let us now pa.s.s to the other side of the great northern continent, and examine the list of the quadrupeds of Amoorland, in the same lat.i.tude as Germany. We find that there are forty-four terrestrial species (omitting the bats, the seals, and other marine animals), and of these no less than twenty-six are identical with European species, and twelve or thirteen more are closely allied representatives, leaving only five or six which are peculiarly Asiatic. We can hardly have a more convincing proof of the essential 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 {35} 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 Pa.s.seres 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.

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. _t.u.r.dus 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. ,, _oenanthe_ Wheatear (also N. America).

10. _Acrocephalus arundinaceus_ Great Reed-Warbler.

11. _Sylvia curruca_ Lesser Whitethroat.

12. _Parus major_ Great t.i.tmouse.

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.

{36} 20. _Emberiza schoeniclus_ Reed Bunting.

21. ,, _citrinella_ Yellow-hammer.

22. _Fringilla montifringilla_ Brambling.

23. _Pa.s.ser monta.n.u.s_ 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. _t.u.r.dus varius_ White's Thrush (also to j.a.pan).

3. ,, _atrigularis_ Black-throated Thrush.

4. _Acrocephalus naevius_ Gra.s.shopper Warbler.

5. _Phylloscopus superciliosus_ Yellow-browed Warbler.

6. _Certhia familiaris_ Tree-creeper.

7. _Parus coeruleus_ Blue t.i.tmouse.

8. ,, _ater_ Coal t.i.tmouse.

9. ,, _pal.u.s.tris_ Marsh t.i.tmouse.

10. _Acredula caudata_ Long-tailed t.i.tmouse.

11. _Ampelis garrulus_ Wax-wing.

12. _Anthus richardi_ Richard's Pipit.

13. _Alauda alpestris_ Sh.o.r.e Lark (also N. America).

14. _Plectrophanes nivalis_ Snow-Bunting (also N. America).

15. ,, _lapponicus_ Lapland Bunting.

16. _Emberiza rustica_ Rustic Bunting (also China).

17. ,, _pusilla_ Little Bunting.

18. _Linota linaria_ Mealy Redpole (also N. America).

19. _Pyrrhula erythrina_ Scarlet Grosbeak (also N. India, China).

20. ,, _enucleator_ Pine Grosbeak (also N. America).

21. _Loxia bifasciata_ Two-barred Crossbill.

22. _Pastor roseus_ Rose-coloured Starling (also India).

23. _Corvus corax_ Raven (also N. America).

24. _Pica rustica_ Magpie.

25. _Nucifraga caryocatactes_ Nutcracker.

III. BRITISH BIRDS RANGING INTO N. AFRICA AND W. ASIA.

1. _Lanius minor_ Lesser Grey Shrike.

2. ,, _auriculatus_ Woodchat (also Tropical Africa).

3. _Muscicapa grisola_ Spotted Flycatcher (also E. and S.

Africa).

4. ,, _atricapilla_ Pied Flycatcher (also Central Africa).

5. t.u.r.dus _viscivorus_ Mistletoe-Thrush (N. India in winter).

6. ,, _merula_ Blackbird.

7. ,, _torquatus_ Ring Ouzel.

8. _Accentor modularis_ Hedge Sparrow.

9. _Erithacus rubecula_ Redbreast.

10. _Daulias luscinia_ Nightingale.

{37} 11. _Ruticilla phaenicurus_ Redstart.