182 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [part hi. 



Western America, but the remaining genera, six in number, are 

 all exclusively Palaearctic. 



Among Carnivora we have Nyctereutes, the curious racoon-dog 

 of Japan and North-Eastern Asia ; Lutronectes, an otter peculiar 

 to Japan ; and the badger (Meles), which ranges over the whole 

 region, and just enters the Oriental region as far as Hongkong; 

 JEliLropus, a curious form of the Himalayan panda, inhabiting 

 the high mountains of Eastern Thibet ; and Pclagius, a genus of 

 seals, ranging from the shores of Madeira to the Black Sea. 



The Ungulata, or hoofed animals, are still more productive of 

 forms peculiar to this region. First we have the Camels, whose 

 native home is the desert region of Central and Western Asia and 

 Northern Africa, and which, even in their domesticated condition, 

 are confined almost wholly within the limits of the Palaearctic 

 region. Of Deer we have six peculiar genera, Dama and Capreolus 

 found in Europe, with Elaphodus, Lophotragus, Hydropotes, and 

 Moschus, confined to Northern China and Mongolia. The great 

 family Bovidse — comprising the oxen, sheep, goats and antelopes 

 — furnishes no less than seven peculiar Palaearctic genera. 

 These are Poephagus, the yak of Thibet; Addax, a well-known 

 antelope of Northern Africa and Syria ; Procapra, Pantho- 

 lops and Budorcas, antelopine genera peculiar to Thibet and 

 Mongolia ; with Rupicapra (the chamois), and the extraordinary 

 • large-nosed antelope Saiga, confined to Europe and Western Asia. 

 Besides these we have Capra (the wild sheep and goats), all the 

 numerous species of which, except two, are exclusively Pala?arctic. 



Coming to the Eodents, we have again many peculiar forms. 

 Of Murida3 (the mouse and rat tribe), we have six peculiar 

 genera, the more important being Cricetus, Phombomys Smin- 

 thus, and Myospalax. Of Spalacidae (mole-rats) both the Palae- 

 arctic genera, Ellobius and Spalax, are peculiar. Ctenodadylus, 

 a genus of the South American family Octodontidae, is found 

 only in North Africa. To these we may add Myoxus (the 

 dormice) and Lagomys (the pikas or tail-less hares) as essentially 

 Palaearctic, since but one species of each genus is found be- 

 yond the limits of the region. 



Birds. — It appears to have been the opinion of many natural- 



