BIRDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 
369 
colours, being characteristic of the Brazilian forest fauna. 
The family is unknown in the Old World, but, as in the case 
of the humming birds, we have closely allied groups (Ama- 
thusidae, etc.) in western Polynesia and southern Asia, so 
that the Morphidae or their ancestors may possibly have 
entered South America, as so many other groups have done, 
from the west. 
The large and mostly active lizards belonging to the family 
Teiidae are spread all over South America, ranging northward 
as far as California and Texas and through the West Indies. 
They appear to have only extended their range into North 
America in comparatively late geological times, although they 
are known from early Tertiary deposits in South America. 
Nevertheless the Teiidae are quite unknown in the Old World. 
Instances of that kind might easily be cited from every group 
of vertebrates and invertebrates. 
Yet although these examples seem to show that the faunistic 
community between South America and Africa is so slight 
as not to necessitate the hypothesis of a former land connec¬ 
tion between these continents, we possess other very striking 
features of distribution which are strongly opposed to such 
a conclusion. I may draw attention again to the most re¬ 
markable fact, pointed out by Professor Bouvier,* that the 
genus Peripatus is peculiar to America, with the single ex¬ 
ception of Peripatus tholloni of West Africa. All the other 
Peripatus-like creatures have been proved by Professor 
Bouvier to belong to different genera or groups. 
During his travels in the Amazon region, Mr. Bates dis¬ 
covered a curious archaic spider-like creature, which was 
named Cryptostemma westermanni. More recently the same 
species has been recorded from Sierra Leone and from the 
Cameroons in West Africa. Those who allege that accidental 
dispersal is responsible for such cases of distribution, pro¬ 
bably accept the discovery of Cryptostemma westermanni 
on both sides of the Atlantic as a notable instanco of the 
facility with which species are wafted across the ocean. But 
we must remember that there are thousands of species of 
animals and plants inhabiting the coasts of West Africa and 
* Bouvier, E. L., “ Monographie des Onychophores,” I., p. 91. 
L.A. 
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