Dr. \V. T. r.lanfmd. Th>- IHttril,,'!;,,, 



Ceylon. l.e regarded a.- ; ( -in-l- -ii'i-iegion, aii<i may In- conveniently 

 entitled tin- Ci-gangctic >ul> region.* The forests of the Sahyadri 

 range ami of the Western or Concan ami Malaliar roast and the hill 

 r Southern Ceylon have a far richer fauna than the remaining 

 area. lut are not sufficiently di>tinct to require sul> regional sepa- 

 ration. 



The hill fauna of the Sahyadri range. es]>ecially on the highest 

 portions, such as tlie Nilgiri and Anaiinalai Hills, and that of the hill 

 group in South-western Ceylon, contain several Himalayan genera and 

 spei-ies. hut not sufficient to enalile the S. Indian and Ceyloncse areas 

 to l>e .-lassed \\itli tlic Himalayan forest area in a scjKirate Mil>-divisioii 

 or suWegion. 



The C'isgangetic sul>-iegion is distinguished from the TrUUgaugBtk 

 ly the presence amongst inaininals of Hya-nida-. Krinacein.t*. (lerKil- 

 lina-, of three peculiar genera of Antelopes and of some other type- ; 

 aim.ngst l>irds l>y the occurrence of Pterodetes (sand grouse). I'hu-ni- 

 copteri (Hainingoes). Otidida- (luistards) and Cursoriiiue ; amongst 

 reptiles l>y the possession of the families Kulilepharida-, Chaina* 

 leontida- and Tropeltida-, together with many ]>eculiar (ieckonida-, 

 Agamida- and Larertida-. and amongst oatrachians ly alnxit one-half 

 of the genera found in each sinVregion l>eing alisent in the other. The 

 ditterence Between the reptiles and hatrachians l>y itself would justify 

 the classification of the two areas as distinct regions, a view adopted 

 ly several writer.-. 



The following figure.- show the total numher of genera recorded 

 from theCisgangetic suli-region and the pen entage of them not ranging 

 into the Tran.-gaiigetic area, the Himalayas and Hurma : 



Cugangetic. Not 



Mammal> ............ 6^ 14 or !<*" jicr cent. 



Birds .................. 347 4C, or 1:5 



Reptile- ............... 93 :i or 4-J 



Matrac-hians ......... 17 i> 01 ">"> 



Kreshwater fishes ... ">,< ( . o: l."r."i 



Omitting lat.-. the nuinler of Cisgangetic mammalian genera is 

 furty-six. of which 14 or .">U per cent, are wanting in the Himalaya* 

 and east of the I Jay of Bengal. 



The difference Between the Cisgangetic vertebrate fauna ami that 

 inhaliiting the rest of the Indo-Malay or Oriental region is partly due 

 to the alisence in the former of numerous Kastern tyj>e.s, and jwrtly to 

 the presence of two con.-tituent- U-i<le- the Oriental genera, which, 

 especially in forest, form a majority of the animals present. One of 

 these two constituents consist.- of mammals, lird>. and reptiles having 



* Tin- tc-riii- " C'isgangetic " and " Transgangetic" have already been employed by 

 Professor Gadow, f.t.c. 



