DISTRIBUTION OF OnilDIANS. 22^* 



very marked, -wliicli the same species of the Cheiroptera 

 present in different countries ; and I may add, that there 

 exist among them differences, even in the essential cha- 

 racters, as in the length of the muzzle, &c. — See Vol. II. 

 of The Monografliies of M. Temminck. 



As to Birds, there exist a great number of species 

 which live at the same time in different islands of the 

 Archipelago, there forming local varieties, sometimes very 

 curious, but which are chiefly confined to differences in 

 size, and the system of coloiu-s. — The class of Keptiles 

 presents analogous facts to those observed among mam- 

 mifera. The Emvs of Spengler is often seen under forms 

 SO different, that the study of this animal serves only to 

 confuse the idea attached to the word species.'^' The two- 

 rayed Monitor, Mon. bivittatus, which is found in Suma- 

 tra, in Java, in Borneo, in Celebes, and also in the Isle 

 of Lucan, varies more or less, according to the place which 

 it inhabits ; whence several naturalists have considered it 

 as constituting different species, although their differences 

 often resolve themselves into trifling discrepancies in the 

 system of colouring. The same observation, perhaps, is 

 also applicable to the Indian Basilisk that inhabits 

 Celebes, Amboina, and the Philippines. The Scink of 

 Kuhl appears to be spread over India, from Bengal to the 

 Philippine and Marianne Islands : the individuals from 

 Bengal, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and. Celebes, offer no sen- 

 sible differences ; but those from Timor have more vivid 

 and more decided tints. As to the Dracones, it is scarce- 

 ly possible, in a few w^ords, to give an abstract of all the 

 differences which each species presents, according to the 

 different place it inhabits.f The Spotted Gecko (Lacerta 

 Gecko, LiNx.) of Timor presents tints a little darker than 

 that of Java. The Crab -eating Frog and Rana leucomys- 

 tax, which are absolutely identical in all the Sunda Islands, 

 and also in the Philippines, depart from the typical race at 



* All that we might offer, to prove our assertions, would be super- 

 fluous : dissection can alone justify our ideas on this point. 



t We beg leave to refer to the third number of our Abhildungen, where 

 we have very amply treated of this subject. 



