SOUTHERN AFRICA. MADAGASCAR. Ill 



be drawn from the very imperfect information we yet 

 possess regarding its productions. It is generally as- 

 serted, that not one of the large African quadrupeds, 

 such as the lion,, elephant, hyaena, &c., have been found 

 in Madagascar : and, further, that the country is with- 

 out apes or monkeys of any sort; these being represented 

 by the family of lemurs, of which no less than seven- 

 teen species have already been discovered. These cu- 

 rious monkey-like animals are almost unknown in Africa ; 

 nor have they been discovered in New Holland ; yet it 

 is singular that two, if not three, species inhabit Ceylon, 

 and such islands as lie nearest, in that direction, to the 

 northern extremity of Madagasca . The dispersion of 

 the Galago lemurs, however, forming the genus Otolic- 

 nus, is divided between this island and Western Africa ; 

 three out of the five being natives of Guinea and Senegal, 

 while two other species are peculiar to Madagascar. 

 Another point of connection with the Indian islands is 

 presented by the genus Tarsius, of which two species 

 inhabit Amboyria and Borneo ; the third, together with 

 that singular animal the Aye-aye (Cheiromys Cuv.), 

 being characteristic of this country. It is, never- 

 theless, highly probable that the zoology of this 

 island assumes, at present, a more peculiarly isolated 

 character than it may really possess. We are, as 

 yet, entirely unacquainted with the animals of that 

 immense line of coast occupying the eastern shores of 

 Africa ; and it is, therefore, quite impossible to say 

 what may be the zoological character or peculiarities of 

 countries so remote from those of the Cape, and still 

 more from the western coast. So far, indeed, as we 

 can at present judge, the chief seat of South African 

 zoology appears to lie at the southern extremity of the 

 continent ; but this, after all, is very questionable ; 

 since, until we are better informed on the productions 

 of those countries lying nearest to Madagascar, the as- 

 sumption is altogether gratuitous. It deserves also to 

 be remembered, that we have not found any very striking 

 difference between the ornithology of the Cape terri- 



