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 {Bitfo) have, however, their 

 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 

 Europe, Northern Asia (with Japan and Chusan), 

 North America, and Africa north of the Sahara. The 

 second region consists of Africa south of the Sahara, 

 Madagascar, India, and the Indian Archipelago. 

 The third region is made up of South America and 

 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 

 its islands) and America. 



No frog or toad has yet been found in New 

 Zealand. 



Africa, considering its size and climate, is poor in 

 species of A noiira. 



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 



