GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 421 



theriuni). Deer and wild Oxen are absent. Gnawers {Rodentia) 

 are represented by a number of peculiar forms, of which may be 

 mentioned the Cape Jumping- Hare {Pedeies) and the African 

 " Flying "-Squirrels i^Anoinalurus). The archaic order of Mam- 

 mals Poor in Teeth [Edeniaia) is represented by the Cape Ant- 

 Eater or Aard-Vark (Orycteropus), and Pangolins i^Manis), though 

 the latter are shared with the Oriental region. 



Ethiopian Birds {Aves). — Among the many peculiar forms 

 it may suffice to mention Plantain- Eaters {Musophaga), Colies 

 (Colius), Whydah Finches [Vidita), Ox- Peckers i^Bupkaga), many 

 of the beautiful little Sun- Birds iyNectariniidce), the Secretary- 

 Bird i^Serpentaritts), and the African Ostrich {Strtithid). 



Ethiopian Reptiles {Reptilia). — Crocodiles are abundant but 

 not peculiar, while among Lizards {Lacertilia) the large majority 

 of the Chameleons are limited to the region. Among the in- 

 numerable Serpents [Ophidia) the Egg-eating Snake {Dasypeltis) 

 and deadly Puff-Adders {Bitis) are purely Ethiopian. 



Ethiopian Amphibians [Amphibia). — The Clawed Toads 

 {Xenoptis) are limited to Africa, while, on the other hand, not 

 only are Tailed Amphibians [U^-odela) entirely absent, but also 

 several families of Tailless Amphibians {Anuj'a), e.g. the Tree- 

 Frogs [HylidcB). 



Ethiopian Freshwater Fishes [Pisces). — Some of the most 

 archaic types are limited to the region, e.g. one of the Lung- 

 Fishes [Protopterits), the Bichir [Polypterus), and the Reed- 

 Fish [Calamoichthys), the last two being Ganoids. 



Ethiopian Land and Freshwater Molluscs [Afolhisca). — One 

 of the large Land-Snails [Achatina) is very characteristic, though 

 not limited to Africa, while Land-Slugs are comparatively scarce, 

 and freshwater molluscs are less abundant than in some other 

 regions. The fauna of Lake Tanganyika presents some re- 

 markable features. As we have seen elsewhere (see p. 313) 

 the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal were once continuous with 

 the Arctic Ocean, the fact that each is inhabited by a peculiar 

 species of Seal being accounted for in this way. It appears 

 that in remote geological times Tanganyika was also part of a 

 sea area, and was converted into a lake as one of the results of 

 a series of land-upheavals. Some of the marine molluscs and 

 other animals living in the sea of which it formed a part proved 

 able to accommodate themselves to the altered conditions, and 



Vol. IV. 122 



