92 ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANIMALS. 
(128.) On taking a rapid survey of the productions of 
Africa, we are naturally led to arrange our observations 
under three heads. First, as relates to that portion of 
the continent situated north of the Great Desert, and 
bounded by the Mediterranean on one hand and the 
Red Sea on the other. Our second division will com- 
prise Western Africa, and the more equinoctial regions ; 
while the third embraces Southern Africa and the Island 
of Madagascar. 
(129.) The zoology of Northern Africa is no further 
interesting, than as it presents us with the first indi- 
cations of a great change in animal distribution. The 
Mediterranean forms a natural boundary to the northern 
range of many quadrupeds, unknown to, or long ago 
extirpated from, the shores of Europe. The lion 1s oc- 
casionally seen, and hyenas are not uncommon ; but the 
jackal, long supposed a universal inhabitant of these 
countries, is unknown — according to Mr. Ruppel — 
either in Egypt, Nubia, or the adjacent kingdoms. A 
few species of antelopes range over the arid tracts of 
Barbary, and are probably peculiar to this side of the 
Great Desert: with these, also, are intermixed several 
quadrupeds of Western Asia. ‘The camel is here the 
chief beast of burthen, and the horses of Arabia are well 
known. It has been generally asserted, that this noble 
animal is truly a native of this part of Africa, and that it 
still exists in its original wild state; but recent travellers 
contradict this statement, and point to Western Asia and 
‘the regions of Caucasus as the original metropolis of the 
horse. ‘The bats are small, and Eonaned to five species ; 
but in Lower Egypt are found several foxes and wild 
dogs of peculiar habits. The elegant little gerbells, or 
jerboas, are chiefly inhabitants, of the deserts; while the 
Felis maniculata of Mr. Ruppel, or the Egyptian wild 
cat, appears, on the testimony of this traveller, to be 
the original species from which all our domestic breeds 
have sprung ; the intermediate gradation being marked 
by the tame cats of the modern Egyptians. 
