110 ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANIMALS. 



are common to both. The more sandy plains of the 

 interior furnish but few butterflies, yet present us with 

 many carnivorous beetles of a large size,, particularly the 

 genus Manticora of Oliver. The terrestrial Neuroptera, 

 including the locust tribe, are every where abundant ; 

 while the widely spread European Eurymus edusa Sw. 



(fig. 51.) is found at 

 the Cape : but, in ge- 

 neral, the forms, and a 

 few of the species, co- 

 incide more with those 

 of Asia than of Europe 

 or America. 



(157.) The testace- 

 ous Mollusca, or shells, 

 have no particular interest ; the continual agitation of 

 the sea, and the nature of the coast, appearing unfa- 

 vourable to the propagation, or, at least-, to the great 

 increase, of these animals. The wrinkled ear-shell (Ha~ 

 liotis Midae L.), with limpets of a very large size, are 

 common on the rocks of False Bay ; while the Cyprcea 

 Algoensis Gray is a very local species. The great 

 Achatina Zebra is the largest land shell of this part of 

 Africa: but notwithstanding the numerous rivers to the 

 westward and eastward, very few fluviatile shells have 

 yet been sent to England. 



(158.) The great island of Madagascar may here be 

 noticed, as, from its vicinity to the African continent, its 

 productions might be supposed in some degree similar : 

 yet this is not strictly the case. The zoology of this 

 noble island possesses many very peculiar features, and 

 differs more from that of Southern Africa than the 

 latter does from the equinoctial countries. It is dif- 

 ficult to say, in short, under which of the three great 

 zoological provinces in this hemisphere Madagascar 

 should be included ; since, although its geographic po- 

 sition places it nearest to Africa, its zoology is much 

 more akin to that of the Asiatic islands, or even to 

 New Holland ; at least, such is the inference that may 



