CHAP, xii.] THE ORIENTAL REGION. 337 



animals whose body is not larger than a rabbit's, thence often 

 called "mouse-deer." They were formerly classed with the 

 " musk-deer," owing to their similar tusk-like upper canines ; 

 but their anatomy shows them to form quite a distinct family, 

 having more resemblance to the camels. On the branch above 

 is the curious feather-tailed Tree-Shrew (Ptilocerus lowii), a small 

 insectivorous animal altogether peculiar to Borneo. Above this 

 is the strange little Tarsier (Tarsnis spectrum), one of the lemurs 

 confined to the Malay islands, but so distinct from all others as 

 to constitute a separate family. The other small animals are 

 the Flying Lemurs {Galceopithecus volans) formerly classed with 

 the lemurs, but now considered to belong to the Insectivora. 

 They have a very large expansion of the skin connecting the 

 fore and hind limbs and tail, and ore able to take long flights 

 from one tree to another, and even to rise over obstacles in their 

 course by the elevatory power of the tail-membrane. They 

 feed chiefly on leaves, and have a very soft and beautifully 

 marbled fur. 



In the distance is the Malayan tapir {Tapirus indicus), a 

 representative of a group of animals now confined to the larger 

 Malay islands and tropical America, but which once ranged 

 over the greater part of temperate Europe. 



Birds. — Owing to several of the families consisting of very 

 obscure and closely allied species, which have never been criti- 

 cally examined and compared by a competent ornithologist, 

 the number of birds inhabiting this sub-region is uncertain. 

 From the best available materials there appear to be somewhat 

 less than 650 species of land-birds actually known, or exclud- 

 ing the Philippine Islands somewhat less than 600. The 

 larger part of these are peculiar species, but mostly allied to 

 those of Indo-China ; 36 of the genera, as already stated, being- 

 common to these two sub-regions. There are, however, no less 

 than 46 genera which are peculiarly or wholly Inclo Malayan 

 and, in many cases, have no close affinity with other Oriental 

 groups. These peculiar genera are as follows: — Timalia, Mala- 

 copttron, Macronus, Napothera, Turdinus, and Trichixos — genera 



