108 THE GEOGRAPHY OF MAMMALS 



ghost-like middle finger, with which they have been 

 supposed to extract wood-boring insects from their burrows, 

 although their chief food in captivity certainly consists of 

 succulent juices. 



Of the extinct mammal-fauna of Madagascar we know 

 as yet too little. Dr. Forsyth-Major (4) has lately described 

 a large lemur {Megaladapis) differing considerably from 

 those now inhabiting the island; while remains of two 

 small Lemurs and of two small species of Hippopotamus 

 have been also met with. These remains, together with 

 the bones of a large flightless bird (jEpyornis), apparently 

 allied to other Ratite birds, are of a comparatively recent 

 period. 



On the whole, however, we cannot but presume that 

 Madagascar originally obtained its animal life from the 

 mainland of Africa. The striking differences between the 

 present faunas of Africa proper and Madagascar are doubt- 

 less due to the fact that the great bulk of the existing 

 African fauna is of comparatively modern origin, and came 

 from the Northern continent at the end of the Miocene or 

 the beginning of the Pliocene times, whereas Madagascar 

 was cut off from Africa before this eruption of Northern 

 forms took place. Madagascar, therefore, appears to contain 

 a sample of the ancient Ethiopian fauna, which has been 

 almost exterminated on the mainland, but has survived here 

 under the protection afforded by its separation from the 

 adjacent continent. The fauna of the Malagasy Sub-region 

 may be summarized by the exclusive possession of — 



(1) Seven genera of the family Muridte, among the 

 Rodents. 



(2) Six genera of the family Viverridm, among the 

 Carnivores. 



