244 THE GEOGRAPHY OF MAMMALS 



In the New World the Viverridm are entirely unre- 

 presented, and, as a rule, may be said to belong to the 

 tropical portions of the Ethiopian and Oriental Kegions, 

 being entirely absent in the Australian Region. It may 

 also be again remarked that the Malagasy Sub-region 

 is quite peculiar as regards its Viverridse, six well- 

 marked genera of this family being entirely restricted 

 to that anomalous island, whilst the seventh, Viver- 

 ricula, is probably only an introduction from the Oriental 

 Region. 



In the Pakearctic Region the Viverridse are feebly 

 represented by a few scattered species which have strayed 

 from the south into its limits, such as the Common Genet 

 (Genetta vulgaris) and the Ichneumon {Herpestes ichneu- 

 mon), which are both met with in Southern Spain and 

 Algeria. As a rule, again it may be said that the Ethio- 

 pian and Oriental Viverridie are not only specifically but 

 generically different. But one large genus, Herpestes, has 

 its twenty species divided pretty equally between the two 

 Regions, and the typical Civets, Viverra, are found both 

 in Africa and India. 



A third family of the ^Eluroid Carnivora has been 

 necessarily formed for the reception of the Aard-Wolf 

 (Proteles cristatus). This is a hyenoid form well distin- 

 guished by its extremely peculiar dentition. The Aard- 

 Wolf appears to be restricted to the southern and eastern 

 portions of Africa, and constitutes one of the most charac- 

 teristic forms of Ethiopian mammal-life. 



Finally, closing the iEluroid series, we have the small 

 family of Hyaenas {Hyt&nidx) containing three well- 

 marked species, which, taken on the whole, must be 

 denominated Ethiopian, as they all three occur within 



