148 STUDIES IN LIFE AND SENSE. 



gradually developed in a connected fauna of which we have here but 

 the fragmentary remains." 



The Oriental region, formerly known as the " Indian" region, pos- 

 sesses boundaries of highly interesting nature. Comprising Asia south 

 of the Palsearctic region, it includes India, the Eastern Peninsula, and 

 the Malay archipelago as far as Borneo, Java, and the Philippines. 

 Its southern or lower boundary is marked by a special line 

 "Wallace's line" which passes through a narrow but extremely 

 deep channel the Straits of Lombok running between the little 

 islands of Bali and Lombok (fig. 13), and, extending northward 

 and eastward, leaves on its Australian side Lombok, Celebes, and 

 adjoining islands. No fact of distribution, as has been already 

 remarked, is more noteworthy than the sharp demarcation of the 

 Oriental from the Australian region. In the Oriental province itself 

 are found all the conditions for a rich development of life. There 

 is variety in its physical contour ; it is broken up into islands and 

 peninsulas ; it has its alternations of high mountain and valley, 

 of hill and plain ; its river-systems are many and extensive ; its 

 temperature is that of the equatorial zone, and its vegetation is in 

 consequence varied and profuse. 



Peculiar to the Indian region are at least three families of 

 quadrupeds, that of the flying-lemurs, that of the Tarsiers, or spectre- 

 lemurs, and that of the Tupaias, or squirrel-shrews. There are also 

 many genera confined to this province, although possessing family 

 representatives elsewhere. Thus there are monkeys of the genus 

 Presbyter, and the special genera of true lemurs in this region ; twelve 

 peculiar civet cats find a home here; whilst three species of antelopes, 

 five rhinoceroses, and the flying-squirrels (Ptero?nys] are typically 

 Oriental in their distribution. Nor must we neglect the species 

 which are limited to this province. The orang-outangs and gibbons, 

 two of the four kinds of highest apes, are included amongst its deni- 

 zens; the tiger, the Indian elephant, sun-bears and honey-bears, the 

 tapir, and the chevrotains or mouse-deer, lend their presence to aid 

 in forming a diverse fauna of the most interesting kind. 



Conspicuous among its birds are the tailor-birds, which are pecu- 

 liar to the region, as also are the laughing-thrushes. There are 

 peculiar genera of woodpeckers, cuckoos, and hornbills. The 

 minivets and grass-green fruit-thrushes are also characteristic Oriental 

 birds. The sun-birds are represented by three genera ; bee-eaters 

 and kingfishers are likewise included in the Oriental aviary; and 

 goatsuckers and whiskered swifts also fall to be enumerated. Only 

 two parrot-genera are Oriental in distribution ; the pigeons of the 

 province being the fruit-eating Treron and Carpophaga. It is in this 

 region that the races of " poultry " find their original home. The 

 true jungle-fowl, from one species of which all our domestic fowls 



