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“THE DISTRIBUTION OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS 
IN INDIA, CEYLON, AND BURMA.” 
By W. T. Buanrorp, LL,D., F.RS. 
(Abstract.) 
Several contributions on the subject of the distribution of Vertebrata, or 
geographical Zoology, in India and the neighbouring countries have been 
made by Elwes,* von Pelzeln,; Wallace,t Sharpe,§ Newton,|| Gadow,{] Lydek- 
ker,** and W, Sclater,{t+ besides the present author.{} The majority of these 
contributions deal, however, with birds or mammals alone, the first-named 
class having received the greatest amount of attention. 
The completion of the seven volumes containing descriptions of all the 
Vertebrata, in the ‘ Fauna of British India, affords an opportunity of review- 
ing generally the distribution of terrestrial vertebrate animals throughout 
the British possessions in India, Ceylon, and Burma, The limits are those 
of the British Indian territories and dependencies with the addition of 
Ceylon (which, although British, is not under the Indian Government). 
Baluchistan, all the Kashmir territories (with Gilgit, Ladak, &c.), Nepal, 
Sikhim, Bhutan, and other Cis-Himalayan States, Assam, Manipur, the Bur- 
mese Shan States, Karennee, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are 
included ; but not Afghanistan, Kashgaria, Tibet, Yunnan, Siam, or the Malay 
Peninsula south of Tenasserim. 
For the study of zoological distribution there are few, if any, regions on 
the earth’s surface that exceed British India and its dependencies in interest, 
The area is about 1,800,000 square miles, and although the vertebrate fauna 
is by no means thoroughly explored, it is well known throughout the greater 
part of the area and fairly known throughout the whole, better probably 
than in any other tropical and sub-tropical tract of approximately equal 
extent. The variety of climate is remarkable; within the area are included 
the almost rainless deserts of Sind and the locality on the Khasi Hills dis- 
tinguished by the heaviest rainfall known, the cold arid plateau of the Upper 
Indus drainage, and the damp tropical forests of Malabar and Tenasserim. 
The country is bounded on the north by the highest mountain range in the 
world, and on the south by an ocean extending tothe Antarctic regions. 
* ¢ P,Z.S., 1873, p. 645. 
+ © Africa-Indian } “ Verh. Z.-B. Ges. Wien.” 1875, p. 62. 
t ¢ Geographical Distribution, vol. 1, pp. 81,'&¢., 1876. 
§ ‘ Natural Science, August, 1893, p. 108. 
|| ‘ Dietionary of Birds,’ p. 358 (1893), 
{ Bronn’s ‘ Kl. Ord. d. Thierreichs, VI, 4, Vogel, p. 296 (1893). 
** € Geographical History of Mammals, p. 266 (1896). 
++ ‘Geographical Journal,’ 1896, vol. 8, p. 380 , ‘ Geography of Mammals,’ p, 131. 
tt ‘Jour. As. Soc. Beng,,’ vol. 39, pt. 2,p. 336 (1870); ‘A. M,N. H.’ (4), vol. 18, p. 277 
(1876) ; Introduction to “ Mammalia,” ‘ Fauna Brit, Ind., p. IV, (1888). 
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