808 THE I^ATURAL HISTOET EETIEW. 



" well-characterized and natural genera. Whilst the genus is that 

 " which, in the Zoological system, simplifies most, and at the same 

 " time preserves the greatest variety of types — is therefore that 

 " which is most frequently u-ed in our philosophical intercourse and 

 " operations, and ought to be as comprehensive as the natural 

 " afiinities of the species will allow — any trifling character is now 

 " used to give a new generic name to every two or three species ; 

 " and I am afraid this is more frequently done for the purpose of 

 " introducing the author to notice, than from a desire to advance 

 *' science. For it will be observed that, generally, the men who 

 "thus endeavour to burden our memories, are not satisfied with 

 ''having their name recorded in connexion with their systematic 

 " productions, but must have all the old, well-known species assigned 

 " to their credit also. Under all circumstances, such a change of 

 *' the name of the authority for binominal designations is quite irra- 

 " tional, nor does our method imply anything which is untrue." 



To the systematic index which heads the work, Dr. Giinther 

 prefaces some remarks on the geographical distribution of the Eeptilia 

 over the Indian continent and adjoining lands which merit our 

 attention. The Fauna of an area so large as that treated of in the 

 present work is, as Dr. Giinther observes, necessarily much diversified, 

 and as a large portion of it is still unexplored, it is, of course, some- 

 what hazardous to draw general deductions from such a limited 

 knowledge of particulars. But certain leadiug features in the Eep- 

 tilian Fauna of this region may be pointed out without difficulty. 

 The island of Ceylon is remarkable as being the head-quarters of the 

 singular underground snakes of the family Uropeltidse. These are 

 peculiar to the island, and to the adjacent parts of the Indian Penin- 

 sula, and are found nowhere else. Contrary to what occurs in other 

 orders of Yertebrata, the Eeptilian Fauna of Ceylon seems to show 

 very little affinity with Archipelagic types. Ceylon is therefore 

 considered by Dr. Giinther to form part of the same Herpetological 

 Eegion, as Mysore, the Carnatic, and the other portions of the 

 southern part of the Indian Peninsula. The Deccan, which borders 

 this province to the north, as likewise the immense tract occupying the 

 centre of India, between the Deccan and the great Gangetic plain is 

 almost unexplored herpetologically. Little, therefore, can be said 

 about it. In the north-west, the plain of the Indus presents us 

 with many forms of reptiles, as of mammals, of an Indo-African cha- 

 racter, which extend southwards for some distance along the western 



