120 THE GEOGRAPHY OF MAMMALS 



surviving species found in a semi-fossil condition in caves, 

 the only fossil mammal hitherto obtained from the Ethiopian 

 Region is a form named by Owen Tritylodon, the remains 

 of which were discovered in the Karoo beds of Basutoland, 

 in South Africa. This formation is of Mesozoic age, and 

 seems to correspond to the Trias of Europe. Near Stutt- 

 gart, also, in beds of the Trias age, another specimen 

 closely resembling that of South Africa has been obtained. 

 Tritylodon belongs to a group which was apparently allied 

 to the modern Marsupials, and many somewhat similar 

 forms have been found in other Mesozoic beds in Europe 

 and North America. 



The only conclusion to be drawn from this is, that 

 before the commencement of the Tertiary epoch the whole 

 world was, so far as is at present known, inhabited by 

 small insignificant mammals distantly allied to the Mar- 

 supials, which are at present restricted to Australia and 

 South America. Besides Tritylodon, the only fossil 

 mammals hitherto known, from the Ethiopian Region, are 

 those which have been described by Grandidier (3) and 

 Forsyth-Major (4) from Madagascar, as mentioned above. 



The resemblances between the Faunas of the Oriental 

 and Ethiopian Regions have been noted and commented 

 on by many writers; Mr. Allen is even disposed to join 

 the two Regions into one realm. The number of prevailing 

 genera, however, common to these two Regions, and not 

 found in the Palsearctic Region, is very small, the total 

 being, as was pointed out in the first article of this series, 

 only eight, and of these one (Mellivora) has since then 

 been recorded by Biichner (2) as occurring in the Trans- 

 Caspian district, and is therefore also Palsearctic. Of the 

 other seven, four have been found, in a fossil state, in 



