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302 GEOGRAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. [pabt iv.
one-third of the total number of Passeres ; a wonderful illus-
tration of the Ornithological riches of South America.
Neotropical
Sdb-begions.
1 .a.3 .4
Order II.—PICABI^.
Family 51.—PICID^. (36 Genera, 320 Species.)
Nearctic
sub-reqions.
General Distribution.
Pal^arctic
Sub-regions.
Ethiopian
Sub-regions.
Oriental
Sub-regions.
1.2.3.4 :i. 2. 3. 3 1.2.3 — 11.2.3.4 1
Australian
Sub-regions.
The Woodpeckers are very widely distributed, being only absent
from the Australian region beyond Celebes and Plores. They
are most abundant in the Neotropical and Oriental regions, both
of which possess a number of peculiar genera ; while the other
regions possess few or no peculiar forms, even the Ethiopian
Iregion having only three genera not found elsewhere. The soft-
tailed 'Picunminse inhabit the tropical regions only, Picumnus
being Neotropical, Vivia and Sasia Oriental, and Verreauxia
Ethiopian. Picoides, or Apternns, is an Arctic form peculiar to
the Nearctic and Palsearctic regions. Celeus, Chrysoptilus, Chloro-
nerpes, and some smaller genera, are Neotropical exclusively,
and there are two peculiar forms in Cuba. Yungipicus, Chryso-
colaptes, Hemicerciis, Mulleripicus, Brachyptcrnus, Tiga, and
Micropiernus, are the most important of the peculiar Oriental
genera. Dendropicus and Geocolaptes are Ethiopian ; but there
are no woodpeckers in Madagascar. The Palsearctic woodpeckers
belong to the genera Picus—which is widely distributed, Gecinus
—which is an Oriental form, and Dryocopus—which is South
American. Except Ptcoit^es, the Nearctic woodpeckers are mostly
of Neotropical genera ; but Sphyrapicus a.nd Hylatomus are peculiar.
The geological record is, as yet, almost silent as to this family
but remains doubtfully referred to it have been found in the
Miocene of Europe and the Eocene of the United States. Yet
the group is evidently one of very high antiquity, as is shown by
;