Ornithology of Northern Africa. 157 



reached the Bermudas — a distance of 800 miles, — it is not to be 

 wondered at if European colonists of this class should have pre- 

 ceded even the French adventurers. 



What mammals then do we find really common to the op- 

 posite shores of the Mediterranean? Only the following: — 

 Fells catus (Wild Cat), Putorius hoccamela, Lutra vulgaris (the 

 Otter), Sus scrofa (Wild Boar, world-wide in its distribution), 

 Sorex araneus and S. fodiens, Mils rattus, M. sylvaticus, M. mus- 

 culus, Hystrix cristata, and Lepus mediterraneus — eleven in all. 

 It is to be observed, that no mole mines, no badger skulks, no 

 wolf roams in Barbary, while there are seventeen carnivorous 

 animals, and among them the Lion and the Leopard, which 

 roar within hearing of the coasts of the Mediterranean, and yet 

 have no congeners in Europe. As far as I have been able to 

 ascertain, the forms of reptilian life are as distinct from those 

 of Europe and as closely united with the African types as the 

 mammiferous races; but I am not aware that the collections 

 made by le Capitaine Dastugue, by myself, and others, have yet 

 been submitted to the scrutiny of hei-petologists, and the speci- 

 mens which have been hitherto reported on in Paris have been 

 chiefly collected only on the coasts. How the singular contrast 

 between the mammalian dissimilarity and the general zoological 

 similarity is to be explained, remains to be unfolded by the 

 coming ' Philosophic Naturalist,' foretold by Mr. Breeds Re- 

 viewer above alluded to. Unless the progenitors of the carni- 

 vores can have crossed the Great Desert from the south, which 

 in its present state I should conceive scarcely possible, I dare 

 offer no conjecture. 



But when we come to the ornithology of North Africa, then 

 it is that the zoological union with Europe is most complete. 

 The first work with which I am acquainted on the Algerian 

 birds is the brochure of M. Alfr. Malherbe, published at Metz 

 in J 846. Of the 191 species in this catalogue, 186 are common 

 to Europe; one {Cuculus abyssinicus) is incorrectly inserted, and 

 four are distinct species — Pica rnauritanica, described by M. Mal- 

 herbe in 1843; Parus ledouci, Malh. 1842; Parus caruleanus 

 Malh. 1842; and Picus numidicus, Malh. 1842. This latter has 

 since, it is said, been found to inhabit Spain. 



