Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 3.djvu/777

Rh ETHIOPIAN REGION.] B I K bary States; 438 are common to the West Coast, but whether to the Guinean Subregion, presently to be treated, or only to the Gambian province of the Libyan, is not stated ; 318 are common to South Africa or the Caffrarian Subregion, and 253 only to the Mosambican ; while 215 are peculiar to the district to which his work especially relates ; the last statement being the most im portant for our present use, since it cannot be doubted that nearly all these 215 species are peculiar to the Abyssinian province, which may be taken as extending from about the southern frontier of Dongola to the Victoria Nyanza, and from the Kosanga River (long. 27 E.) to (Jape Guardafui. One of the most wonderful forms of birds peculiar to this province is the gigantic Whale-headed Stork, Balceniceps rex. Of Socotra we know far too little to determine its provincial affinity. n Of the Gambian province we cannot say much, through - want of materials to convey any definite notion of its character ; and we are only able to confirm the general belief that it has a good deal in common with the Abys sinian, next to be mentioned, for without lists carefully drawn up by those who have a special knowledge of the avifauna of a country, or the power to compile such for oneself, which in this case the present writer does not possess, any attempt at a critical examination of its details would be rather misleading than otherwise. The province probably lies between lat. 18 and lat. 10 N., but whether it preserves those limits in the interior, whether it passes directly into the Abyssinian, or whether another province intervenes, are questions that cannot be now decided. It would seem to have in common with the East Coast several very characteristic species, of which Eupliaga africana, Vidua paradisea, Parus leucopterus, Corythornis cyano- stigma, Coracias ncevici, and Toccus nasutus, with T. erythrorhynchus, may be mentioned. rcl To the Gambian province belong the Cape-Yerd Islands, which, out of 17 or 18 Land-birds enumerated by Dr H. Dohrn (Journ. fur Ornith. 1871, pp. 1-10), seem to have 2 peculiar species : a Sparrow (Fringillidce) and an aquatic Warbler (Sylviidce). (2.) The Guinean Subregion is the next to be treated, )1K and occupies what is commonly spoken of as the &quot;West Coast &quot; of Africa, extending from Sierra Leone to the south of Congo, while its breadth is a matter of the greatest un certainty. Hitherto no catalogue even of its birds has been published, for the work of Dr Hartlaub 1 comprehends also those of the Gambian province of the Libyan Sub- region, while, admirably executed as it was at the time of its appearance, so much has since been done by collectors in this part of Africa, and by those who in Europe have examined their collections (especially Professor Barboza du Bocage and Mr Sharpe), that its results must be regarded as out of date. Yet no good, and much harm, would follow from any attempt to generalize on the facts thus recorded, at various times and in various publications, except it were made by one especially acquainted with African ornithology; and we must therefore, perforce, leave the continental portion of this Subregion without ds. trying to exhibit its particular characteristics. Respecting the islands belonging to it, however, somewhat may be advanced with more confidenca The chief of these are four in number Fernando Po, Prince s Island, that of St Thomas, and Annobon, The first, lying in the Bight of Liafra, was once believed to possess a very peculiar avi fauna ; but one by one, all, or nearly all, of the supposed peculiar species have been found on the mainland, until it seems likely to have none whatever. Prince s Island, situated outside the Bight, but still lying within the Gulf 1 System der Ornithologie West Africa s. Bremen: 1857. 750 of Guinea, has been said to possess 1 peculiar genus, Cuphopterus (of perhaps uncertain affinity, though it has been referred to the TimdUdcn}, comprising a single species, (but this has since been sent from the Gaboon) and 6 other species 1 each of Dicaeidce and Hirundinidce, and 2 of Ploceidae and Columbidce respectively. A curious assertion has been made with regard to this island, namely, that it is not inhabited by any Diurnal Bird-of-prey, all such being, it is said, driven off by the Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) which there abound. The island of St Thomas, lying nearly or just under the equator, also has 6 peculiar species, belonging respectively to the Turdidce, Dicceidce, Oriolidce, P/oceidce, Colunibidce, and Strigidae; while another species of the family last mentioned is common to this and Prince s Island, but seems to be found nowhere else. Of Annobon we know nothing. (3.) The Ca/rarian Subregion has its inland boundaries Cafframn as ill-defined as either of the preceding, yet its distinctive Sul&amp;gt;regiou features are much more marked a fact which is doubtless to some extent explained by so great a portion of it lying without the tropic. Though this part of Africa has per haps received the closest attention from ornithologists, the several labours in various districts of the Subregion of Levaillant and Jules Yerreaux, Andersson and Andrew Smith, Mr Layard and Mr- Ayres, assisted at home by Sundevall and Mr Gurney, all require digesting before their bearings upon the subject of geographical distribution can be fully comprehended; and, as in the cases previously mentioned, the careful collation and comparison of different lists can only be usefully accomplished by one who has a special knowledge of the objects treated of by those writers, and any attempt to attain this end by an inexpert would be dangerous. Only one island can be with certainty affili ated to this Subregion, and that is St Helena, where the St Helena indigenous Land-birds, if any there were, have probably been extirpated with most of its original and peculiar flora. Yet, curious as it may be, it seems to be a fact that this isolated spot possesses a peculiar Water-bird, albeit it is of a group which greatly affects dry places. This is a small Ringed Plover (JEgialitis sanctcc-helenae), and, though be longing to a genus the members of which are remarkable for very wide distribution, it is not known to have occurred off the island. Tristan da Cunha, commonly assigned to the Ethiopian Eegion, and therefore to this Subregion, seems, from reasons before stated, to have at least as much affinity to the Neotropical, and Ascension appears to have no indigenous Land-birds whatever, so that its appropriation must remain in doubt. (4.) TJie Mosambican Subregion next follows, and its MosamM- relations to the Abyssinian the numbers already quoted can. ^ ul) &quot; from Dr von Heuglin will have shewn, but these must be reg taken with caution, since the limits of the Subregion are so indefinite. Whether we should comprehend in it the whole of the country drained by the Zambesi and its tribu taries seems to be very uncertain ; but, judging from the collections he has received, Mr Sharpe is now inclined to think that this part has more affinity to South Africa. The general uniformity of distribution which obtains among the Birds of all the tropical portion of the Eegion, especi ally noticed by Dr Kirk in writing on those,, of Zambesia (Ibis, 1864, p. 307), requires much fuller^ geographical details than are at present available to entitle us to form any very decided opinion, though the in most respects ex cefient monograph of Drs Finsch and Hartlaub (see note at page 758) gives ample information as to the literature and descriptions of the 448 species which, according to those learned authors, constitute its avifauna, and no attempt can possibly be made to subdivide the Subregion into pro vinces. Lying off its coast are three considerable islands, Peniba, Zanzibar, and Monfia, but as yet there is no reason