38 THE COMMON FROG. [chap. 



America and are also found in Australia, but not in 

 India or in Africa south of the Sahara. On the other 

 hand, another genus of Tree-frogs [Polypedates), is 

 found in India, Japan, and Madagascar, but not in 

 either Australia or America. 



The typical Toads {B/ifo) have, however, their 

 1 head-quarters in South America, yet are wanting in 

 ] Australia, though they are found everywhere else 

 where the order exists at all. 



The earth's surface, considered as to its population 



of the Frog and Toad order, may be divided into three 



^ great regions. The first of these is composed of 



H Europe, Northern Asia (with Japan and Chusan), 



North America, and Africa north of the Sahara. The 



J second region consists of Africa south of the Sahara, 



1 Madagascar, India, and the Indian Archipelago. 



\ The third region is made up of South America and 



J Australia, and the resemblance between these two 



parts of the earth's surface as to their frogs and toads 



is paralleled by that as to their mammalian faunas, 



since marsupial mammals (or pouched-beasts of the 



opossum kind), are strictly confined to Australia (and 



f its islands) and America. 



J No frog or toad has yet been found in New 



Zealand. 



Africa, considering its size and climate, is poor in 

 T species of Anoiira. 



We should be prepared for the fact that in South 

 America Tree-frogs abound, since all kinds of 

 animals in that region assume an arboreal habit. 



Monkeys are tree-livers all the world over, but no- 

 where are all the indigenous species so thoroughly 



\:f 



