Tin: ANNALS 



AM) 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL IIISTOUV. 



[FOURTH SERIES.] 

 No. 100. OCTUBKU 1870. 



XXIV. — The African Element in the Fauna of India: a Cri- 

 ticism of Mr. Wallace's vieics as expressed in the ^Geogra- 

 phical 'Distribution of Animals.' By W. T. Blanford, 

 F.R.S. &c. 



Some years since I read a short paper before the British 

 Association *, in which I pointed out that the fauna of a large 

 portion of the Indian peninsula had stronger African than 

 Malayan affinities. With the exception of a note on the dis- 

 tribution of Indian reptiles which I published in 1870 1, and 

 in which I briefly indicated the ditferent zoological j)rovinces 

 and subprovinces existing in India, I have not returned to the 

 subject ; and as I have never published the details upon which 

 my views were founded, I am not surprised to find that my 

 opinion has had but little weight with any who had not a per- 

 sonal knowledge of the country. ^ly principal reason for 

 waiting until I had more leisure was a hope tliat I might be 

 able to examine into the authenticity of many admitted genera, 

 since I have long been convinced that many of the usual 

 generic grou])s are artificial ; and some are even founded upon 

 geographical distribution — forms which inhabit Africa being 

 placed in a different genus from those which inhabit India on 

 account of a difference in the locality, and not of a difference 

 in structure. I was especially desirous also of working out 

 the very difficult question of terrestrial Mollusca, the distri- 

 bution of which, as JMr. Wallace has just jiointed out in his 



• Rrit. Assoc. Rep. 18(i0, p. 107. 

 t J. A. S. B. xxxix. pt. ii. p. .'J.W. 



Ann. c(: Mag. X. Hist. Scr. 4. IW. xviii. 1<J 



