MAMMALIA. 501 



observe in that extensive group other genera limited to either one of the 

 continents. Thus seven genera belong exclusively to Asia, six exclusively 

 to Africa, two to Australia, whilst five others are found in South America 

 alone, and two again in North America. A few others are common to 

 Europe and Asia, and still others to Asia and Africa. 



The group Ctenodactylina is African with one single species. 



The Dipodina is European, North Asiatic, and North African; one 

 species only occurring in North America. 



The Myoxina is excluded from the new world ; the species of this group 

 are chiefly European, two are Asiatic, and a few North African. 



The Sciuridse are equally common to North America, Europe, Asia, and 

 Africa. The genus Pteromys is Asiatic and North American ; the genus 

 Anomalurus, African ; the last continent possessing besides that genus only 

 a few species of Sciums. 



The genus Aplodontia is North American. 



The Insectivora are completely absent in the Australian provinces. 

 Among Talpidas, or moles, the genera Cendylura and Scalops are North 

 American ; the genus Chrysochloris is from tropical Africa, with one 

 species in tropical America ; and the genus Talpa *(mole proper) from 

 temperate Europe. 



The shrews, or Soricida3, are quite as much limited. The shrews proper 

 (Sorex) are European, African, and Asiatic. The genera Hylogale and 

 Hylomys are from tropical Asia; the genus Mygale from temperate 

 Europe ; and the genus Macroscelides from the Cape of Good Hope. The 

 family of Erinaceid^e, or hedgehogs, possesses species of the genus Erina- 

 ceus in Northern Africa, Asia, and Central Europe. The genus Centeteis 

 belongs to tropical Africa, and the genus Gymnura to tropical Asia. 



The Cheiroptera, or bats, we have seeii above, are divided into two 

 groups according to the nature of their food, the Frugivora and Insectivora. 



The insectivorous bats constitute the main bulk of the order. They 

 abound chiefly in the tropical provinces, where they reach their greatest 

 diversity. Two species occur in Australia, a bat proper (Vespertilio) and 

 a bull-dog bat (Dysopes) ; species of the last genus being found also in 

 tropical America, Africa, and Asia, with a single species in Europe. The 

 genera Dididurus, Noctilio, Vampyrus, Phyllostoma, Glossophaga, Desmodus, 

 Mormoops, and Furia all belong to tropical America. In temperate South 

 America there is only one species of bat proper to be found. In arctic 

 America only one species of Yespertilionidse. In tropical Africa we have 

 a single genus which is not found elsewhere ; this is Rhinopoma. Several 

 genera have species in both tropical Afi-ica and Asia, such as Megaderma, 

 Nycteris. The other genera have a wider range ; Vespertilio is cosmo- 

 polite ; of the latter group a species exists in arctic America, seven in 

 arctic Europe, and six in arctic Asia. 



The frugivorous bats are totally excluded from the New World. One 

 species of Pteropus is a native of Australia ; the other species of the same 

 genus belong to the oceanic provinces, tropical Africa, tropical and central 

 Asia. The genus Pachysomus is exclusively proper to tropical Asia ; the 



ICONOGRAPHIC ENCYCLOPEDIA. — VOL. 11. 45 705 



