CHAPTER IV. 



THE ARCTOG^EIC REALM. 



Features of the Arctogceic Fauna Community of earliest Fauna Evidence of 

 Secondary Reptiles Puerco Fauna Lemuroids Insectivora Carnivores 

 Rodents Ungulates Summary of the characteristics of the Mamma- 

 lian Fauna of Arctogsea. 



ARCTOGSEA, or the Arctogaeic realm, includes the whole of the 

 countries of the globe which do not come within the limits of 

 either the Neogaeic or Notogseic realms, and thus embraces by far 

 the greater portion of the land-surface. Nearly the whole of this 

 vast tract lies to the northward of the equator ; the only portions 

 lying below that line being the southern half of Africa, together 

 with Madagascar and some of the Malayan islands. As stated 

 in the introductory chapter, the term Arctogaea was originally 

 proposed by Professor Huxley 1 , but, although subsequently used 

 in one case by Dr Sclater 2 , and at a still later date adopted by 

 Dr Blanford 3 , has failed to obtain general recognition. There 

 can, however, be no doubt that, so far as mammals at least 

 are concerned, the whole of this vast tract is entitled to hold only 

 the same relative rank as each of the realms treated of in the two 

 preceding chapters; and that if we regard each of the regions 

 into which the area under consideration is divided by Sclater and 

 Wallace as equivalent to each of those two realms, we have an 

 exceedingly unequal series of divisions. Not only have the 

 Neogseic and Notogseic realms no species of mammal common to 

 one another, but if we eliminate the genus Cants, which is of 

 comparatively recent introduction into these areas, we shall find 



1 Appendix, No. 18. 



2 Ibid., No. 27, p. 214. 



3 Ibid., No. 8, pp. 76, 77. 



