CONCLUSIONS. 207 



of Arabia, winch are more allied to those of Africa tl in to 

 those of Asia. 



439. The tropical fauna of Asia, comprising the two 

 peninsulas of India and the Isles of Sunda, is not less marked. 

 It is the country of the gibbons, the red orang, the royal 

 tiger, the gavial, and a multitude of peculiar birds. Among 

 the fishes, the family of Chetodons is most numerously 

 represented. Here also are found those curious spiny 

 fishes, whose intricate gills suggested the name Labyrinthici, 

 by which they are known. Fishes with tufted gills are more 

 numerous here than in other seas. The insects and mol- 

 lusks are no less strongly characterized. Among others is 

 the nautilus, the only living representative of the great fam- 

 ily of large, chambered-shells which prevailed so extensively 

 over other types, in former geological ages. 



440. The large Island of Madagascar has its peculiar 

 fauna, characterized by its makis and its curious rodents. 

 It is also the habitat of the Aya-aya. Polynesia, exclusive 

 of New Holland, furnishes a number of very curious animals, 

 which are not found on the Asiatic continent. Such are the 

 herbivorous bats, and the Galeopithecus or flying Maki. The 

 Ga'apago islands, only a few hundred miles from the coast 

 of Peru, have a fauna exclusively their own, among which 

 gigantic land-tortoises are particularly characteristic. 



SECTION III. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



441. From the survey we have thus made of the distribu- 

 ion of the Animal Kingdom, it follows : 



1st. Each grand division of the globe has animals which 

 are either wholly or for the most part peculiar to it. These 

 groups of animals constitute the faunas of ditrerent regions. 



