520 Mr. P. L. Sclatcr on the Geographical 



II. — The Ethiopian Region {Regio jEthiopica) . 



(a) Extent. — Africa south of the Atlas, Madagascar and 

 the Mascaretie Islands, and Arabia up to the Persian Gulf. 



(b) (Characteristic Forms. — As regards its birds, the Ethio- 

 pian Region is much more strongly marked off from the 

 contiguous lands than the Piilaearctic. It has at least five 

 distinct families of birds, absolutely confined to it, besides a 

 large series of peculiar genera. The Musophngidce, the 

 Co/iida, the Irrisorida, the Serpent ariida, and the Stru- 

 thionidce are characteristic families of Ethiopian birds which 

 are not met with at all outside the limits of this region. 

 Besides these, two others, the Leptosomidee and Mesitidae, are, 

 now-a-days at least, restricted to Madagascar. 



The genera confined to the Ethiopian Region, but not 

 belonging to the families above mentioned, are also very 

 numerous. Amongst the Passeres they will be found prin- 

 cipally among the Muscicapid^e, the Laniidee, the Sturnidce, 

 and the Ploceida. Afiica has also many genera of Barbets 

 {Megal(smid(s), Hornbills {Bucerotida>) , and Goatsuckers 

 {Caprimulgid(e) restricted to it. The Guinea-fowls (iVz^mi^a 

 and its allies) constitute the characteristic gallinaceous form 

 of the Ethiopian Region, but Francolins {Francolinus and 

 Pternestes) are likewise very abundant throughont its area. 

 Two well-marked forms of Ilerodiones {Baleeniceps and 

 Scopus) are likewise absolutely confined within Ethiopian 

 limits. 



(c) Subregions. — Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands 

 are so very different from the rest of the Ethiopian Region, 

 in its present stage, that it is almost a question whether they 

 ought not to constitute, as regards birds, a region by them- 

 selves. In my British Association Address I have spoken of 

 them as the " Lemurian Subregion,^' however, and I will 

 follow the same plan on the present occasion. The rest of 

 the Ethiopian Region may be divided, for convenience^ sake, 

 into the following six subdivisions ; — 



1 . Western Africa, from the Senegal to the Congo. 



2. South-western Africa, or Angola and Benguela. 



