THE ZOOLOGICAL PROVINCES 



Australia is cut off) may be divided into the 

 great Holarctic surface, the northern strip 

 which comprises North America, Europe and 

 the Northern part of Asia, while projecting 

 downwards are three other regions, South 

 America or the Neo-tropical, the great African 

 or Ethiopian region, and the Oriental or Indian 

 region. The animals of which fossil remains are 

 found in the Holarctic region have migrated 

 into these projections of the land which sub- 

 sequently became of their present shape, at 

 different times in the world's history. 



The Neo-tropical region of South America 

 was at one time a separate mass of land, and 

 upon it lived very peculiar animals, such as the 

 great sloths and armadilloes, and strange birds. 



In the Holarctic region we find, either still 

 living or buried in recent strata, the great 

 hairy mammals, elephants and cattle, antelopes, 

 deer, camels, horses, rhinoceroses, tapirs, pigs, 

 hippopotami, tigers and lions, and such forms. 

 When we dig down only to the depth of a few 

 feet, in river gravels and comparatively modern 

 deposits, we find all the big creatures in this 

 region as shown by their fossilized bones. But, 

 owing to some change of climate and other con- 



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