“The Geographical Distribution of Animals” in 2 volumes is one of the best-known works by Alfred Russel Wallace. Extending the system developed by the British zoologist Philip Sclater for birds — which divided the earth into six separate geographic regions for describing species distribution — to cover mammals, reptiles and insects as well, Wallace created the basis for the zoogeographic regions still in use today. He discussed all of the factors then known to influence the current and past geographic distribution of animals within each geographic region, and provided maps showing factors, such as elevation of mountains, depths of oceans, and the character of regional vegetation, that affected the distribution of animals. Wallace summarized all the known families and genera of the higher animals and listed their known geographic distributions.
Volume 1:
The Principles and General Phenomena of Distribution:
Introductory
The Means of Dispersal and the Migrations of Animals
On Zoological Region…
Classification as Affecting the Study of Geographical Distribution
On the Distribution of Extinct Animals:
The Extinct Mammalia of the Old World
Extinct Mammalia of the New World
Various Extinct Animals…
Zoological Geography:
The Order of Succession of the Regions…
The Palæarctic Region
The Ethiopian Region
The Oriental Region
The Australian Region
Volume 2:
The Neotropical Region
The Nearctic Region
Summary of the Past Changes and General Relations of the Several Regions
Geographical Zoology:
Introduction
The Distribution of the Families and Genera of Mammalia
The Distribution of the Families and Genera of Birds
The Distribution of the Families and Genera of Reptiles and Amphibia
The Distribution of the Families of Fishes…
The Distribution of Some of the More Important Families and Genera of Insects
An Outline of the Geographical Distribution of Mollusca
Summary of the Distribution and Lines of Migration of the Several Classes of Animals…
