406 THE DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS 



the Neotropical. If now we turn to the greater Eurasian con- 

 tinent, with its two prolongations to the south in Africa and 

 Australia, we shall find the whole northern portion, from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific, constituting one vast region of animal 

 life, the Palearctic, which also includes Iceland and a strip 

 across North Africa. Africa itself, with Madagascar, whose 

 allegiance is, however, only partial, constitutes the Ethiopian 

 region. India, Burmah, the south of China, and certain 

 Asiatic islands form the Oriental region. Australia, New 

 Guinea, and the Polynesian islands constitute the Australian 

 region. All of these regions may in a geological point of 

 view be considered as portions of old and permanent contin- 

 ental masses, which, though with movements of elevation and 

 depression, have continued to exist for vast periods. Some of 

 them, however, seem to have enjoyed greater immunity from 

 causes of change than others, and present, accordingly, animals 

 and plants having, geologically speaking, an antique aspect in 

 comparison. In this sense the Australian province may be re- 

 garded as the oldest of all in the facies of its animal forms, 

 since creatures exist there of genera and families which have 

 very long ago become extinct everywhere else. Next in age to 

 this should rank the Neotropical or South American region, 

 which, like Australia, presents many low and archaic forms of 

 animal life. The Ethiopian region stands next to it in this, the 

 Oriental and Nearctic next, and last and most modern in its 

 aspect is the great Palearctic region, to which man himself be- 

 longs, and the animals and plants of which vindicate their claims 

 to youth by that aggressive and colonizing character already 

 referred to, and which has enabled them to spread themselves 

 widely over the other regions, even independently of the in- 

 fluence of man. On the other hand, the animals and plants 

 of the Australian aud South American regions show no such 

 colonizing tendency, and can scarcely maintain themselves 

 against those of other regions when introduced among them. 



