220 ON THE GEOGRArillCAL 



form and colour, differs, however, in several points of 

 structure. The Snakes of Japan, besides the Ilydrophis, 

 may be reduced to three species of the genus Coluber, 

 two of Tropidonotus, and one Trigonocephalus. The pre- 

 sence of this last, as also that of a Trionyx, of the Musk 

 Shrew, and of the Great Flying Squirrel, recall the Indian 

 Fauna ; while several others, as the five-rayed Scink, se- 

 veral Salamanders, (S:c,, demonstrate that there also exist 

 relations between the Fauna of North America and that 

 of Japan. An examination of the i)roductions of the two 

 peninsulrc of India, comprehending the Island of Ceylon, 

 shews us, that a great analogy exists between those coun- 

 tries and the isles of the Great Indian Archipelago ; and 

 this analogy becomes much more striking, when we compare 

 tlie animals of the nearest points of the countries we have 

 mentioned ; as, for instance, tliose of tlie peninsula of 

 Malacca to those of Sumatra. This analogy, however, 

 is not so evident in respect to mammifera* as to birds, 

 to reptiles, to fishes, and especially to the productions of 

 the vegetable kingdom ; and there exist in the peninsula 

 on this side the Ganges, several reptiles peculiar to that 

 region, and even pertaining to genera which are not 

 found in Malayan Asia ; as, for example, Cameleons, 

 Vipers, &c. The Isle of Ceylon, although very near the 

 coast of Coromandel, supports several animalst which do 

 not inhabit the latter country : among serpents there are 

 the Tortrix maculata, the Calamaria scytale, the Lycodon 

 carinatus, and two Trigonocephali, the T. h}qjnale, and 

 T. nigromaculatus. It is in those latitudes that we first 

 detect the genus Ilydrophis ; interesting ophidians that 

 inhabit exclusively the sea, and occur, from this point, in 

 all intertropical latitudes east of Malabar, even to Poly- 

 nesia. The number of serpents which arc found in the 

 two peninsulas of the Ganges, without occurring in 

 Malayan Asia, appears to be very limited : such are the 



* The ]Monkeysof ]\Ialayasia, for example, belong, without exception 

 almost, to species ditferent from those of Bengal, of the Indian Penin- 

 sula, or of Ceylon. 



t The Lion-Tailed Monkey, or Ouanderou, and several Semnopi- 

 theci. 



