292 Mr. W. T. Blanford on the African 



Moreover the following are the relative number of species 

 of some peculiarly characteristic Indo-Malayan families in 

 Burmah, according to Bljth's list, and in the above named 

 subprovinces of India : — 



The last list is very important, because it shows in a striking- 

 manner the most prominent difference between the Malay 

 countries and India — the extremely rich fauna of the one as 

 compared with that of the other, and the great disproportion 

 of representatives of the same families. The truth is that the 

 characteristic Oriental genera are not nearly so abundant or so 

 well represented in India as is generally supposed. 



I pass on to the Reptilia ; and here I must say that Mr. 

 Wallace's information appears to have misled him. He states, 

 (p. 326) that Tropidococcyx is peculiar to the subregion, and 

 Aspidura^ Passerita^ and Cynojyliis to the peninsula and 

 Ceylon. Now Tropidococcyx and Aspidura have not, so far 

 as I know, ever been found in the subregion at all ; the only 

 localities I can find for the former are North Canara and the 

 Nilgiri hills, both in the Malabar subregion ; whilst Aspiduraj 

 so far as I can judge from the evidence, is confined to Ceylon, 

 though it also is probably found in Malabar. Cynophis 

 Helena I suspect to be a Malabar form also, although it may 

 be found in the Madras subprovince ; Passerita is common 

 enough in the Bengal subprovince, but is certainly not known 

 in the Deccan or the Gangetic area. 



Next, Mr. Wallace gives, as characteristic genera and 

 characteristically Oriental, Dipsas^ Simotes^ Bungarus^ Ncy'a, 

 T7'{meresurus^ Lycodon^ and Python. I cannot admit that the 

 list is either accurate or complete. To the best of ray belief 

 Simotes and Trimeresurus are only found in the Bengal and 

 Madras subprovinces ; and I strongly suspect the same might 

 be said of Python^ though I may be mistaken. Naja may be 

 characteristically Oriental ; but it is quite as characteristically 

 Ethiopian ; and one species is Palsearctic, Tomyrus oxiana 

 having been shown, if I am not mistaken, to belong to the 

 genus. DipsaSj too, is found in Africa. 



Then Eumeces, Pentadactyliis, Gecko, Euhlepharisj and 

 Draco are characteristically or wholly Oriental, according to 



