752 JOURNAL^ BOMBA Y NA TURA L HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. JilV, 



boundaries of the Oriental region, which we shall define presently, and 

 including that portion of Africa that is north of the Sahara desert. 



(2) :Ne ARCTIC— The whole of North America, excluding Mexico, 

 but including Greenland. 



These two regions have, by several eminent authorities, been lately 

 combined under the designation Holarctic, the former titles being 

 retained as sub-regions of the same. 



(3) Ethiopian.— The whole of Africa from the northern limits 

 of the Sahara desert, with Arabia and the islands of Madagascar, 

 Mauritius and Seychelles, 



(4) Oriental.— That portion of Asia south of the boundaries of 

 the Palgearctic region, and including the islands of the Malay archi- 

 pelago till it meets the Australian region. 



(5) Australian.— Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania with the 

 islands of New Guinea and Celebes, though it is probable that even- 

 tually New Zealand may come to be separated into a region of 

 its own, 



(6) Neotropical.— South and Central America, including Mexico. 



I have not attempted in the foregoing summary to define the bound- 

 aries between the Oriental region and the Palsearctic or Australian 

 regions, for they cannot be described in a few words and can best be 

 considered in detail, to which we will now proceed. 



The Oriental region, it will be noticed, is conterminous with the 

 Ethiopian region on the west and with the Palsearctic and Australian 

 regions on its northern and south-eastern boundaries, respectively ; but 

 except in the latter case, owing to the nature of the country and the 

 present limits of our knowledge, the exact line of demarcation cannot 

 be laid down with the accuracy that we can determine the boundaries 

 of other regions. Let us, however, trace them as nearly as we can. 



The whole of the peninsular of Arabia, south of a line drawn from 

 the upper end of the Persian Gulf to Suez, belongs to the Ethiopian 

 region, and all Persia, Afghanistan and the greater part, if not the 

 whole, of Baluchistan belongs to the Palsearctic region. It is when 

 we come to Sind that we first find the fauna partaking of the character 

 of the Oriental region, and the line of demarcation follows the Indus 

 valley to Attock till we come to the western ranges of the Himalayas. 

 Continuing along their southern slopes at about 9,000 to 11,000 feet, 

 according to soil, aspect and shelter, above which the forest belt is 



