92 ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF ANIMALS. 



(128.) On taking a rapid survey of the productions of 

 Africa^ we are naturally led to arrange our observations 

 under three heads. First, as relates to that portion of 

 the continent situated nortli of the Great Desert, and 

 . bounded by the Mediterranean on one hand and the 

 Red Sea on the other. Our second division will com- 

 prise "Western Africa, and the more equinoctial regions ; 

 while the third embraces Southern Africa and the Island 

 of Madagascar. 



(129.) The zoology of Northern Africa is no further 

 interesting, than as it presents us with the first indi- 

 cations of a great change in animal distribution. The 

 Mediterranean forms a natural boundary to the northern 

 range of many quadrupeds, unknown to, or long ago 

 extirpated from, the shores of Europe. The lion is oc- 

 casionally seen, and hyenas are not uncommon; but the 

 jackal, long supposed a universal inhabitant of these 

 countries, is unknown — according to Mr. Ruppel — 

 either in Egypt, Nubia, or the adjacent kingdoms. A 

 few species of antelopes range over the arid tracts of 

 Barbary, and are probably peculiar to this side of the 

 Great Desert: with these, also, are intermixed several 

 quadrupeds of Western Asia. The camel is here the 

 chief beast of burthen, and the horses of Arabia are well 

 known. It has been generally asserted, that this noble 

 animal is truly a native of this part of Africa, and that it 

 still exists in its original wild state; but recent travellers 

 contradict this statement, and point to AV^estern Asia and 

 the regions of Caucasus as the original metropoUs of the 

 horse. The bats are small, and confined to five species ; 

 but in Lower Egypt are found several foxes and wild 

 dogs of pecuhar habits. The elegant little gerbells, or 

 jerboas, are chiefly inhabitants of the deserts; while the 

 Felis maniculata of Mr. Ruppel, or the Egyptian wild 

 cat, appears, on the testimony of this traveller, to be 

 the original species from which all our domestic breeds 

 have sprung ; the intermediate gradation being marked 

 by the tame cats of the modern Egyptians. 



