2 ARKIV rÖR ZOOLOGI. BAND 14. NIO 4. 



witli the zoogeograpbical question knows that in some cases 

 the boundary lines of a certain speoies are rather vague, but 

 in otber instances quite sbarp. Tbis is of course partly 

 depending upon the faculty of adaptation of the animals 

 concerned, and partly depending upon the physical geography 

 and the biological conditions of the coiintry, in which the 

 animals live. Ecuador offers very different conditions of life 

 from the tropical climate of the lower altitudes up to the 

 eternal snow line, which is met with at an altitude of about 

 5,000 or 4,750 m. Below this comes an alpine zone, the 

 »Paramo», above the tree-limit, which according to a kind 

 communication of the Swedish botanist Dr. O. Heilborn, 

 who recently has visited Ecuador, extends downwards on 

 the western side of the Andes to a level of approximately 

 3,600 m. (about 11,900 feet). Below this follows a region 

 between 3,600 or 4,000 m. and 3,000 m. (about 9,000 feet), 

 in which the vegetation chiefly consists of bushes. After 

 that comes further down the rainforest, which has more or 

 less a mountainous character with smaller trees perhaps to 

 an altitude of about 1,000 m. (about 3,000 feet) roughly esti- 

 mated. Further below the rainforest also contains giant 

 trees. 



It is evident that further explorations and much more 

 material is needed before the life zones of the mammals of 

 Ecuador can be ultimately designed, but even the first 

 glimpses of the same are of a certain interest, and therefore 

 the following lists have been prepared, although in many 

 cases deficient. 



As far as the present collections indicate we may thus 

 find, that the monkeys have chiefly been collected in the 

 lower parts of the mountainous rainforest. The same is also 

 the case with the big Paca, the Kinkajou, the Tamandua, 

 Dicotyles, Chironectes, Metachirops, Philaiider etc. The middle 

 of the rainforest appears to be the home of Grison, Tayra, 

 Bassaricyon, Nasua gualeae, Dasyprocta variegata, Dinomys, 

 some båts, Marmosa mitis & phoea. In the upper parts of 

 the rainforest have been found Nasua olivacea quitensis ^also 

 in the bush) Mesosciurus hoffmanni, Mazama gualea (probably 

 also further down), Dasypus novemcindus, Caenolesies etc. 

 From the bushregion we have the Puma, the Skunk, Pseu- 

 dalopex reissi^ Mazama rufina, some båts, Blarina, and Cae- 



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