1882.] PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE jELUROIDEA. 207 



The Asiatic and African Cats are distinct, except the Lion, Leo- 

 pard, Caracal, and Chetah. Twenty-six species seem to be peculiar 

 to Asia, and only six to Africa. Ten species are peculiar to America. 



The ladian archipelago is very rich in species ; and the island of 

 Bali seems their extreme limit. The Tiger is found there. Two 

 species of Lynx and the Wild Cat are European. 



The Hycenidce are almost entirely African, and three of its five 

 species South- African. H. striata alone extends into Western Asia 

 and Northern Africa. 



The family Viverridce is exclusively confined to the Old World, and 

 has but two representatives — a Geaet and an Ichneumon (Genetta 

 vulgaris and Herpestes ichneumon) — in Europe. 



Apart from the Ichneumons aud Paradoxures, twelve species are 

 Asiatic and twenty African. The Ichneumons are divided, as before- 

 said, into thirteen Asiatic and seven African. The Paradoxures are 

 all Asiatic, but are not well defined as to species ; if we accept provi- 

 sionally the number (twelve) of Dr. Gray \ that will give a total of 

 thirty-seven Asiatic forms of Viverridce^ and thirty-two African 

 forms. Besides these, eight species are found in Madagascar. 



No species is common to Asia and the continent of Africa, except 

 Genetta vidgaris and Herpestes ichneumon. 



No species appears to be common to Madagascar and the conti- 

 nent of Africa, a species of Crossarchus found there having been 

 probably introduced by man. 



No species is common to Madagascar and Asia except Viverricula, 

 that wandering Jew amongst the Viverridce, the extensive range of 

 which has been already indicated -. 



The other Madagascar species are Fossa, Eupleres, and the four 

 species of Galidictin(B and Cryptoprocta, 



Thus Madagascar, containing as it does examples of all five sub- 

 famihes of Viverridce, has by far the most peculiar Viverrine fauna 

 of the whole world. 



Next to it comes Borueo, with its Prionodon, Arctictis, Cynogale, 

 Hemigalea, Parodoxuri, and Herpestes ; and the Indian Archipelago 

 generally is rich in Viverrine life as well as being inhabited by the 

 Cats F. macrocelis, F. marmoratus, F. planiceps, and F. badia. 



The Viverrine section of the subfamily Viverrince are pretty equally 

 divided between Asia and Africa ; with the exception of the West- 

 African Nandinia, the paradoxurine section of the Viverrince are en- 

 tirely Asiatic. 



As a rule the Viverrince as to species are predominantly Asiatic, 

 while the Herpestince are predominantly African, and especially 

 South-African, As regards geuera, the Viverrince have six genera 

 peculiar to Africa, aud one to Madagascar, while three {Viverra, 

 Viverricula, and Genetta) are common to both the continents. 



As regards geuera, the subfamily Herpestince has no less than six 

 peculiar to Africa, and not one Asiatic genus which is not also found 

 in Africa, the only genus common to the two continents being Her- 

 pestes. 



^ Cat. of Camivora in Brit. Mus., p. 63. * See ante, p. 149. 



