ALLEK ON GEOGRAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION OF MAMMALS. 347 



constitute a family peculiar to the region. Two orders — Primates and 

 Bruta — highly characteristic of the Central American and Brazilian, 

 regions, are wholly absent. There are also no Ungulates, very few Car- 

 nivores, and very few Eodents; the latter, however, are of mostly 

 peculiar species, as are many of the Bats. The single Insectivore is of 

 a remarkable type, which finds its nearest ally in the remote island 

 of l^adagascar, the ordinary Insectivores of the neighboring Central 

 American and Korth American Eegions being wholly unrepresented. 



Genera of the Aniillean Region. 



Brazilian Region. — Of about ninety commonly recognized genera, a 

 little less than one-third may be considered as either wholly or mainly 

 restricted to the region; a little less than another third range to the 

 northward over much of the Central American Eegion, and may be 

 considered as characteristic of the American Tropical Eealm at large 

 rather than of the Brazilian Eegion. About one-tenth of the remain- 

 ing genera occur also over a large part of the Central American Eegion, 

 while the remainder are divided about equally between tropicopolitan 

 and cosmopolitan genera, and those that range southward over the 

 youth American Temperate Eealm. One genus is also East Indian and 

 another African, while quite a number range throughout the temperate 

 and tropical parts of both Americas, and a few others over Temperate 

 South America. 



It is eminently characterized by its dozen genera of Monkeys, which, 

 excepting a few that range into the Central American Eegion, ai'e 

 restricted wholly to this region ; also by twelve to fifteen genera of Bats, 

 which are scarcely found beyond its borders ; nearly as many genera of 

 Eodents, and quite a number of peculiar genera of other groups. Neg- 

 atively it is characterized by the absence of Insectivores, the great bulk 

 of the northern types of Carnivores, Ungulates, and Eodents. Its sole 

 affinity with the life of the North Temperate Eealm consists in the pres- 

 ence of a few such wide-ranging (cosmopolitan) genera as Felis, Sciurus, 

 Lepus, Vespertilio, etc., and two other genera {Procyon and Didelphys) 

 that range far into North America. 



It is susceptible of division into several provinces, upon the detailed 



* Dr. Coues gives 

 116, foot-note. 



Hes,j)eromys (Oryzomys) palustris as Jamaican.— ilfon. JV". Avi. Bod., 



