PROBLEMS OF DISTRIBUTION AND THEIR SOLUTION. 147 



peculiar to itself, as well as 57 genera of birds, the Ethiopian boasts 

 of 90 peculiar quadruped genera, and 179 genera of land birds abso- 

 lutely confined within its limits. 



The Ethiopian sub-regions number four being named the East, 

 West, and South African, and Malagasay or Madagascar provinces, 

 respectively. Of these the Madagascar sub-region alone demands 

 a passing notice. Including, besides the great island from which 

 it derives its name, the Mauritius, Bourbon, Rodriguez, and the 

 Seychelles and Comoro Islands, the Madagascar sub-region becomes 

 notable in zoological eyes from its forming the headquarters of the 

 lemurs or lower apes, and of the Insectivora. In addition to these 

 quadrupeds, Madagascar possesses a few special carnivora (e.g. 

 Cryptoproctd] of small size ; but in this island the apes, lions, 

 leopards, antelopes, and other familiar quadrupeds of Africa are 

 entirely wanting. In Madagascar there are represented 12 families, 

 27 genera, and 65 species of quadrupeds. Of these 3 families and 

 20 genera are exclusively found in the island, and all the species of 

 these families and genera are similarly peculiar, except perhaps a few 

 of the bats. Extremely peculiar it is to find the lemurs so typical 

 (including 2 families and 34 species) of Madagascar; these animals 

 being represented on the west coast by two forms, and in Africa by one 

 group, whilst they flourish elsewhere in numbers only in the Eastern 

 Archipelago and in Southern India. As regards its bird-population, 

 Madagascar owns in species of land birds, of which only 12 are 

 identical with species inhabiting the adjacent continents. Thirty- 

 three genera of birds are peculiar to the island, these genera 

 including fifty species. Of Madagascar Mr. Wallace remarks, in 

 speaking of its quadruped fauna, "the assemblage of animals above- 

 noted is remarkable, and seems to indicate a very ancient connection 

 with the southern portion of Africa, before the apes, ungulates, and 

 felines had entered it. The lemurs (fig. 14), which are here so largely 

 developed, are represented by a single group in Africa, with two 

 forms on the west coast. They also reappear under peculiar and 

 isolated forms in Southern India and Malaya, and are evidently but 

 the remains of a once widespread group, since in Eocene times they 

 inhabited North America and Europe, and very probably the whole 

 northern hemisphere." Again, remarking of the birds of Madagascar, 

 Mr. Wallace says : "So many perfectly isolated and remarkable groups 

 are certainly nowhere else to be found ; and they fitly associate with 

 the wonderful aye-aye (Chiromys\ the insectivorous Centetidse, and 

 carnivorous Cryptoprocta among the mammalia. They speak to us 

 plainly of enormous antiquity, of long-continued isolation ; and not 

 less plainly of a lost continent or continental island in which so 

 many, and various, and highly-organised creatures could have been 



L 2 



