CHAPTER VII. 



THE ETHIOPIAN REGION. 



Extent Characteristics of the Mammalian Fauna Birds Past History of 

 Ethiopia Subregions. 



IT would be difficult to find a much greater contrast to the 

 mammalian fauna of Madagascar than is presented by that of 

 Africa south of the tropic of Cancer ; the one area, as shown in the 

 last chapter, being characterised by the number of lemurs, together 

 with its peculiar Viverridce. and insectivores, while the other is 

 distinguished from all other parts of the world by the extraordinary 

 number (both as regards genera, species, and individuals) of large 

 ungulates which roamed through its plains and forests until deci- 

 mated or exterminated by the hand of man. As regards the 

 number of individuals of large animals inhabiting equal areas, it is 

 quite probable that at the date when the bison flourished in its 

 millions on the North American prairies, the balance in this 

 respect may have been in favour of the New World ; but whereas 

 the prairies had but a single species, Ethiopian Africa was popu- 

 lated (for it is unfortunately necessary to write in the past tense) 

 with a host of species of antelopes, together with buffaloes, giraffes, 

 hippopotami, zebras, rhinoceroses, and elephants. Such a fauna 

 has existed during the recent epoch in no other part of the world, 

 and in past times has only been paralleled by the lower Pliocene 

 fauna of southern Europe and Asia, although even this, as regards 

 the number of generic and specific types of antelopes, is by no 

 means its equal. 



Separating Madagascar and the associated islands as a distinct 

 division, the Ethiopian region may be taken to include such 

 portions of Africa and Arabia as lie to the south of the tropic of 



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