CH. II] PAL^ARCTIC SUB-REGIONS. 91 



lias lost its hairy covering on becoming an inhabitant of a 

 hot climate. The hairy rhinoceros of Europe is another 

 case in point. 



The Palaearctic region is divided into (I) European, 

 (II) Mediterranean, (III) Siberian, (IV) Mantchurian 

 sub-regions. 



I. The European sub-region comprises Central and 

 Northern Europe. The only really peculiar genus is the 

 Desman, Myogale, found in the streams of the Pyrenees 

 and of Southern Russia. Many other Mammalia however 

 are highly characteristic of the sub-region, though not 

 positively confined to it. Such are the wolf, the mole, 

 the hedgehog, and the dormouse. Not a single genus 

 of birds is absolutely confined to the sub-region. But the 

 Wagtails, the Tits and the Reedling, Panurus 1 , are genera 

 which are more abundant in this part of the world than 

 elsewhere. 



II. The Mediterranean sub-region, as might be in- 

 ferred from its warmer climate, is by far the richest portion 

 of the Palsearctic region. Besides that part of Europe 

 bordering upon the Mediterranean Sea, it includes the 

 north of Africa, down to the desert of Sahara, Persia and 

 Baluchistan. Among Mammalia the Fallow deer (Dama) 

 is peculiar to the sub-region ; so too are Psammomys and 

 Ctenodactylus, two genera of rodents. The Civet of the 

 south of France and South Europe generally, the Porcupine 

 and others are among the characteristic though not 

 peculiar genera. These and some others show the African 

 affinities of the Mediterranean sub-region. The Hywna 



1 Sometimes (and inaccurately) called the "Bearded tit." 



