OCR Text |
Show 650 MR. H. J. ELWES ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL [June 17, Mecistura caudata. Plectrophanes nivalis. Cotyle riparia. lapponica. Accentor alpinus. Perisoreus infaustus. Calamoherpe a'edon. Lagopus alpinus. Regulus cristatus. Tetrao tetrix. Emberiza pityornis. bonasia. pusilla. Otis tarda. Cory thus enucleator. NORTH CHINA. To define the limits of the Palaearctic region in China is, with our present knowledge, impossible ; and much of course depends on temperature and local circumstances. From the observations of Mr. Swinhoe and the Abbe* David, however, it is clear that all the northern part of the country belongs to it, as well as a great deal of the mountainous country bordering on Thibet, in which a large proportion of Himalayan forms will no doubt also be found. The list of birds from the province of Tchili, where for several years the Abbe David has resided, gives m e ample material for showing this ; and though it does not agree in some points with Mr. Swinhoe's revised ' Catalogue of Chinese Birds,' I think I may trust it as being a faithful and fairly complete one. It includes 290 birds which have been observed by him at or near Pekin, 200 of them being land birds; of these there are:- per cent. European birds 65 32*5 European genera, but not found out of Asia except as stragglers 105 52*5 Genera not found in Europe 30 15 Of the latter, some are birds of Northern or Central Asia, such as:- Temenuchus dauricus. Syrrhaptes paradoxus. Erythrospiza mongolica. Crossoptilon mantchuricum. Uragus sibiricus. The rest are summer migrants from S.E. Asia, as :- Halcyon pileatus. Xanthopygia leucophrys. Chibia brevirostris. Myiophonus brevirostris. Dicrurus macrocercus. Zosterops erythropleurus. Buchanga leucogenys. Eurystomus orientalis. Tchitrea affinis. Nemoricola indica. Pericrocotus cinereus. Urocissa sinensis. brevirostris. Turnix maculosa. Cyanoptila cyanomelana. Or residents of Himalayan type, as:- Pterorhinus davidi. Suthora webbiana. Abrornis armandi. Pucrasia xanthospila. |