THE ETHIOPIAN REGION 117 



Section VII. — The Saharan Sub-region 



The Saharan Sub-region, as its name implies, is essen- 

 tially a dry and desert district. As here regarded, in 

 addition to the Sahara proper, it includes the southern 

 part of Arabia and Somaliland, both of which are distinctly 

 arid countries. The only part of the Sub-region where 

 there is much rainfall is in the Abyssinian highlands and 

 the country surrounding such isolated mountains as Kenia. 

 In consequence of these facts, and also in accordance with 

 the fact that the Sub-region is conterminous for so long 

 a distance with the Palsearctic Region, the number of 

 endemic genera of the Saharan Sub-region is extremely 

 small, being only seven out of a total of eighty-five — that 

 is, 8 per cent, as compared with 21 per cent, in the Cape, 

 and 15 per cent, in the West African Sub-region. 



Of recent years a considerable number of new forms, 

 especially of Antelopes, have been obtained from Somali- 

 land, a country which, up to a few years ago, was quite 

 unknown, and it is quite possible that eventually the 

 "unknown Horn of Africa" will be found to possess a 

 Fauna sufficiently distinct from the rest of the continent 

 to be separated as another Sub-region. But for the present, 

 until our knowledge is widened a little more, it will be 

 best to keep Somaliland in the Saharan Sub-region. 



The most characteristic feature of the Sub-region is, 

 perhaps, the large numbers of Antelopes. These, as a 

 rule, are specifically distinct from those of the Cape Sub- 

 region. Among them may be mentioned Swayne's Harte- 

 beeste (Bubalis swaynei), Hunter's Bontebok (Bamaliscus 

 hunteri), three species of Oryx (0. beisa from Abyssinia 



