CHAP. XI.] THE ETHIOPIAN REGION. 2C3 



confined to tlie Oriental region ; and in the squirrel family is a 

 curious genus, Anomalurus, which resemljles the flying squirrels 

 of other parts of the world, without being directly allied to them. 



Birds. — In this class we find a larger proportionate numljer 

 of peculiar forms. Ilypergerus and Aldlie, belonging to the 

 Timaliidffi, or babblers, are perliaps allied to Malayan groups ; 

 Parinia, a peculiar form of tit, is found only in Prince's Island ; 

 Ixonotus is an abundant and characteristic form of Pycnonotidas; 

 Fraseria, Hypodes, Cupliopterus, and Chaunonotus, are peculiar 

 genera of shrikes ; Picathartcs is one of the many strange forms 

 of the crow family ; Cinnyricindus is a peculiar genus of sun- 

 birds ; Pliolidorms is supposed to belong to the Oriental Dicaeidfie, 

 or flower-peckers ; Waldcnia is a recently-described new form 

 of swallow; Ligurnus, a finch, Spcrmospiga, a weaver bird, and 

 Onyclwgnathns a starling, are also peculiar "West African genera. 

 Coming to the Picariai we have Verrccmxia, a peculiar wood- 

 pecker ; three peculiar genera of barbets (Megahcmida?) ; 

 the typical plantain- eaters (Musophaga) ; Myioccyx, a peculiar 

 genus of kingfishers ; while Bcrenicornis is a genus of crested 

 hornbiUs, only found elsewhere in Malaya. The grey parrots, 

 of the genus Psittams, are confined to this sub-region, as are 

 two peculiar genera of partridges, and three of guinea- 

 fowl. We have also here a species of Pitta, one of tlie Ori- 

 ental family of ground-thrushes ; and the Oriental paroquets, 

 Palceornis, are found here as well as in Abyssinia and the 

 Mascarene Islands. 



We thus find, both in the IMammalia and birds of W^est Africa, 

 a special Oriental or even Malayan element not present in the 

 other parts of tropical Africa, although appearing again in 

 Madagascar. In the Mammalia it is represented by the anthro- 

 poid apes ; by Cololms allied to Scmnor)ithccus, and by Cercocchns 

 allied to Macacus ; and especially by a form of the jNIalayan 

 family of chevrotains (Tragulidse). The ]\Ialayan genus of otters, 

 Aonyx, is also said to occur in West and South Africa. In 

 birds we have special Oriental and jNIalayan affinities in Alethe, 

 Photidoniis, Bcrenicornis, Pitta, and Pcdccm^vis ; while tlie 

 Oiiental senus Trcron has a wide vawjie in Africa. "Wc shall 



