VII.] SUB-REGIONS. 26l 



which is the exclusive home of all the man-like apes and of the 

 lemurs of the genus Perodicticus. To this sub-region also belong 

 PotamogaUi the African linsang (Poiana), as well as several other 

 genera of Viverridcz, such as Nandinia and Helogale. Among the 

 rodents the flying-squirrels of the family Anomalurida are very 

 characteristic of the forest tract, and the peculiar murine genus 

 Deomys, as also Saccostomus, is restricted to it. The water-chevro- 

 tain (Dorcatheriuni) is solely West African, as is the small Liberian 

 hippopotamus ; while certain genera of antelopes, such as the 

 duikers (Cephalophus), harnessed antelopes (Tragelaphns\ and 

 elands (Orias), have larger and finer representatives here than 

 elsewhere. The giant pangolin (Manis gigantea), the largest 

 member of its genus, is likewise a West African form. 



Although South Africa has a certain number of mammalian 

 genera, such as Cynictis, Suricata, Otocyon, Pcecilogale, Bathyergus, 

 Pedetes, Petromys, and Pelea, peculiar to it, others, such as the 

 golden moles (Chrysochloris) and aard-wolf (Proteles], have been 

 proved to extend far up the east coast, the latter occurring in 

 Somaliland. Hence it seems advisable to unite Dr Wallace's 

 South African sub-region with that portion of his East Central 

 sub-region which is not included in the equatorial forest-tract. Of 

 this East Central sub-region, as it may be collectively called, it 

 will suffice to say that it is the home of the greater number of the 

 characteristic Ethiopian mammals exclusive of those restricted to 

 the forest-tract. Here antelopes attain their greatest numerical 

 development, both as regards genera and species; and here is 

 also the true home of the lion and the spotted hyaena ; while to 

 this sub-region are confined the Cape hunting-dog (Lycaon) and 

 the aard-wolf (Proteles). The distribution of other genera is 

 sufficiently indicated in the table already given. 



The light which has recently been thrown upon the mammals 

 of northern Somaliland has shown that, as regards antelopes at 

 least, these are so peculiar that it may be questioned whether this 

 tract is not entitled to be separated as a sub-region by itself. 

 According to the lists given by Dr Sclater 1 and Capt. Swayne 2 , 



1 Natural Science, vol. I. p. 264 (1892). 



2 Seventeen Trips to Somaliland, London (1895). 



