330 ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
by being protected by isolation or their facility for hiding them- 
selves from the notice of their predatory brethren. Although 
are none of them in Madagascar, and the Quadrumana are only 
represented by the lemurs, of which there are six genera and 
Madagascar. There are six bats, but they ull belong to widely- 
spread families. Of the Insectivorous Fere there are about a 
shape and size, which is confined to the island, and has no near 
affinity ; several civets, and an ichneumon. The Rodentia consist 
of four species ats and mice of peculiar genera, whi 
individuals, 
antelopes, so plentiful both in Asia and Africa, the buffalo, horse, 
zebra, elephant, hippopotamus, and rhinoceros, are entirely absent, 
and the order is only represented by a single river-hog of the 
African genus Potamocherus, which is very rare. The bones of a 
gascar Mammalia in full detail in his ‘ Island Life’ and former 
work on the ‘ Distribution of Animals,’ and draws the 
that it is likely that the absent types have originated in the 
Atlantic to the Bay of B 
been ae before they extended themselves so far in a southern 
ection. 
Breps.—The birds of the island show the same strongly-marked 
peculiarity of character as the Mammalia. Upwards of one hundred — 
species of land-birds have been determined scientifically, and of 
these not more than half a dozen are known elsewhere, whilst 
Asiatic genera, The by 
several hawks and owls. One of the hawks has been adopted as 
