ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANIMALS. 



gion best calculated for studying the peculiarities of this 

 zoological province. Confining ourselves to the existing 

 wild quadrupeds, we may remark, that, while two species 

 alone appear to inhabit the cold country of Denmark, 

 there are thirteen described as natives of France and the 

 adjacent kingdoms, seven of which are also found in 

 Britain. The common brown bear takes the place of the 

 Polar species in the central parts of Europe, where, also, 

 the black bear was once common, although now nearly 

 extinct. The wolf and the fox, under different varie- 

 ties, or perhaps species, are distributed over this region ; 

 where also we find the wild cat ; and two, if not three, 

 species of lynx. The lesser ferocious quadrupeds are 

 more numerous ; for no less than eight species of the 

 weasel family inhabit Europe. Under the head of 

 graminivorous quadrupeds, or such as live more or less 

 upon seeds as well as upon flesh, may be mentioned the 

 hedgehog, squirrel, and seven species of mice. The beaver 

 (fig. 2.) is recorded to have inhabited, at one time, the 



banks of some of the 

 Welsh rivers, but has 

 long been extirpated 

 from these islands, 

 and will, doubtless, 

 in a few years, entire- 

 ly disappear from 

 Europe. It may be 

 here observed, that 

 the different species of mice, now arranged under se- 

 veral distinct genera, form an important feature in 

 European zoology. The following are their names : 



Arvicola amphibius. Water Rat. 



Arvicola arvalis. Field Arvicole. 



Arvicola fulvus. Yellowish Mouse. 



Arvicola argentoratensis. Strasburg 

 Mouse. 



Georychus Norvegicus. The Lem- 

 ming. 



Georychus terrestris. Land Lem- 

 ming. 



Mus sylvaticus. Field Mouse. 



Mus campestris. Plain Mouse. 

 Mus musculus. House Mouse. 

 Mus messarius. Harvest Mouse. 

 Mus minutus. Small Mouse. 

 Mus agrarius. Setnic Mouse. 

 Mus soricinus. Shrew-like Mouse. 

 Mus dichrurus. Party-coloured 



Mouse. 

 Mus Islandicus. Iceland Mouse. 



