SOUTHERN AFRICA. — MADAGASCAR. 111 
be drawn from the very imperfect information we yet 
possess regarding its productions. It is generally as- 
serted, that not one of the large African quadrupeds, 
such as the lion, elephant, hyena, &c., have been found 
in Madagascar: and, further, that the country is with- 
out apes or monkeys of any sort; these being represented 
by the family of lemurs, of which no less than seven- 
teen species have already been discovered. These cu- 
rious monkey-like animals are almost unknown in Africa ; 
nor have they been discovered in New Holland ; yet it 
is singular that two, if not three, species inhabit Ceylon, 
and such islands as lie nearest, in that direction, to the 
northern extremity of Madagascar. The dispersion of 
the Galago lemurs, however, forming the genus Ofolic- 
nus, is divided between this island and Western Africa ; 
three out of the five being natives of Guinea and Senegal, 
while two other species are peculiar to Madagascar. 
Another point of connection with the Indian islands is 
presented by the genus 7arsius, of which two species 
inhabit Amboyna and Borneo ; the third, together with 
that singular animal the Aye-aye (Cheiromys Cuv.), 
being characteristic of this country. It is, never- 
theless, highly probable that the zoology of this 
island assumes, at present, a more peculiarly isolated 
character than it may really possess. We are, as 
yet, entirely unacquainted with the animals of that 
immense line of coast occupying the eastern shores of 
Africa ; and it is, therefore, quite impossible to say 
what may be the zoological character or peculiarities of 
countries so remote from those of the Cape, and still 
more from the western coast. So far, indeed, as we 
can at present judge, the chief seat of South African 
zoology appears to lie at the southern extremity of the 
continent; but this, after all, is very questionable ; 
since, until we are better informed on the productions 
of those countries lying nearest to Madagascar, the as- 
sumption is altogether gratuitous. It deserves also to 
be remembered, that we have not found any very striking 
difference between the ornithology of the Cape terri- 
