280 THE ORIENTAL REGION. [CHAP. 



be accounted for by a lowering of the temperature during a past 

 epoch. Of the goat-like genera Nemorhcedtis and Cemas, the 

 former has a wide range in the region and also extends into 

 northern China and Japan, while the latter is represented solely 

 by the Himalayan goral ; no fossil types of either being known. 

 In its poverty of antelopes (exclusive of the widely-spread gazelles) 

 the Oriental presents a most remarkable contrast to the Ethiopian 

 region, although this poverty is largely a feature of the present 

 epoch, African types being common in the Siwaliks. The sole 

 existing forms are the four-horned antelope (Tetraceros quadri- 

 cornis], the black-buck (Antilope cervicapra)^ and the nilgai (Bos- 

 elaphus tragocamelus], each of which forms a genus by itself, and 

 all of which are restricted to India, exclusive of Ceylon. Indeed, 

 it is a remarkable feature that true antelopes and gazelles are 

 unknown to the eastward of the Bay of Bengal ; although this may 

 be chiefly or entirely due to the countries to the eastward being 

 unsuited to their habits. The nilgai, which has fossil representa- 

 tives in the Indian Plistocene and Pliocene, is allied to the kudu 

 group of Africa, while the four-horned antelope is a near relative 

 of the duikers. It will be unnecessary to say anything with regard 

 to the true goats (Caprd) and sheep (Ovis) inhabiting the region, 

 since these are found only on the north-western frontier of India, 

 and are obviously intruders from the Holarctic region. It is, 

 however, important to mention that extinct representatives of one, 

 if not of both groups, occur in the Siwalik Hills. 



The abundance of Cervidce is one of the most noticeable 

 features distinguishing the Oriental from the Ethiopian region ; 

 there being an equally marked difference in this respect between 

 the former and the Holarctic area. Although the majority of the 

 Oriental deer are now included in the genus Cervus, the typical, 

 or elaphine group, as represented by the red deer and the wapiti, 

 is entirely wanting, its place being taken by the sambur and its 

 allies (C. unicolor), forming the rusine group; the swamp-deer 

 (C. duvaucelt), which with another species constitutes the rucervine 

 group, and the Indian spotted deer (C. axis), alone representing 

 the axine group. Rusine deer are abundant in the Indian 

 Siwaliks, but appear to be unknown in the Pikermi beds. 

 Although they have one Tibetan representative, the smaller deer 



