CHAP. XII. ] THE ORIENTAL REGION. 317 
markable forms; among the bee-eaters we have the exquisite 
Nyctiornis with its pendent neck-plumes of blue or scarlet; 
brilliant kingfishers and strangely formed hornbills abound 
everywhere ; while brown-backed trogons with red and orange 
breasts, though far less frequent, are equally a feature of the 
Ornithology. Next we have the frog-mouthed goatsuckers (Bat- 
trachostomus), and the whiskered swifts (Dendrochelidon), both 
wide-spread, remarkable, and characteristic groups of the Oriental 
region. Coming to the parrot tribe, we have only the long-tailed 
Paleornis and the exquisite little ZLoriculus, as characteristic 
genera. We now come to the pigeons, among which the fruit- 
“eating genera Teron and Carpophaga are the most conspicuous. 
The gallinaceous birds offer us some grand forms, such as 
the peacocks (Pavo) ; the argus pheasants (Argusianus) ; the fire- 
backed pheasants (Huplocamus) ; and the jungle-fowl (Gallus), all 
strikingly characteristic ; and with these we may close our sketch, 
since the birds of prey and the two Orders comprising the 
waders and swimmers offer nothing sufficiently remarkable to 
be worthy of enumeration here. 
Reptiles——Only the more abundant and characteristic groups 
will here be noticed. In the serpent tribe, the Oligodontide, 
a small family of ground-snakes; the Homalopside, or fresh- 
water snakes; the Dendrophide, or tree-snakes ; the Dryiophide, 
or whip-snakes; the Dipsadide, or nocturnal tree-snakes ; the 
Lycodontide or fanged ground-snakes; the Pythonide, or rock- 
snakes; the Elapide, or venomous colubrine snakes (including 
the “ cobras”) ; and the Crotalidz, or pit-vipers, are all abundant 
and characteristic, ranging over nearly the whole region, and pre- 
senting a great variety of genera and species. Among lizards, the 
Varanide or water-lizards ; the Scincide or “ scinks ;” the Gecko- 
tide, or geckoes; and the Agamide, or eastern iguanas; are the 
most universal and characteristic groups. Among crocodiles the 
genus Crocodilus is widely spread, Gavialis being characteristic 
of the Ganges. Among Chelonia, or shielded reptiles, forms of 
fresh-water Testudinide and Trionychide (soft tortoises) are 
tolerably abundant. 
Amphibia —tThe only abundant and characteristic groups of 
