CH. Il] ORIENTAL SUB-REGIONS. 105 



pheasant tribe are entirely or mainly restricted to this 

 region and are among the most characteristic of the bird 

 inhabitants. The Cuckoos are well developed, and are 

 represented by 18 genera, of which 2 are peculiar to the 

 region ; but here, as in so many cases, the limits of the 

 genera are somewhat uncertain. The Bee-eater Nyctiornis 

 is an oriental genus, and oriental only. The parrots are 

 abundant, but there is only a single peculiar genus, 

 Psittinus. The rest are mainly of Australian types, but 

 the genus Palceornis is in addition African. The remark- 

 able owl Photodilus has perhaps a near ally in Heliodilus 

 of Madagascar, both of these genera, especially the latter, 

 are again allied to Stria; and form with it a special sub- 

 family of the Owls. Another highly characteristic genus 

 of birds is the Surgeon bird, Hydrophasianus, which has 

 an ally in the genus Parra in the New World. The 

 Ralline birds are however not abundant or represented by 

 many peculiar types in the Oriental region. 



The Oriental region has also four sub-regions, (I) 

 Indian, (II) Ceylonese, (III) Indo-Chinese, (IV) Malayan. 



I. Indian sub-region. This sub-region comprises the 

 entire peninsula of Hindostan. It does not abound in 

 peculiar forms, but there are a few which are confined to 

 it. The genus Tomiogale among the Viverridae is in this 

 position; the majority of the oriental Antelopes have 

 here their head-quarters. 



II. The Geylonese sub-region includes besides the island 

 of Ceylon a large part of southern India. It is a little 

 richer in peculiar types, but is still not very peculiar. 

 The lemur Loris is found here ; the rodent genus Plata- 



