ZOOLOGICAL 



21 



confine their wanderings to the denser parts of the forest, generally near 

 water and in the vicinity of bamboos. When the rains commence, however, 

 they extend their range into the open to feed upon the young and tender 

 grass which springs up at that season. 



The African Elephant, distinguished by its enormous ears, is at the 

 present day confined to the wooded districts in the Ethiopian continent 

 south of the Sahara and north of the Cuene and Zambesi Rivers. In Cape 

 Colony it exists and is protected in the Knysna and Addo Bush. Its remains 

 have been found in a fossil state in Spain, Sicily and Algeria, so that it 

 •evidently ranged in former ages over a much wider area than it occupies 

 at present. In many districts it is becoming extremely scarce, so per- 

 sistently has it been hunted for the sake of its ivory, and it must soon 

 become extinct, unless measures— as in the case of the Indian species- 

 are adopted to prevent this lamentable result. 



No less than 64 extinct species of Elephantidse have been described, 

 •of which 15 belonged to the same genus as the existing species. In the 

 Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene periods Elephants roamed over the 

 greater part of Europe (including the British Isles), North Africa, Asia 

 and America from Alaska to the Argentine Republic. The best-known 

 species is that to which the popular name of Mammoth (E. primigenius) 

 has been applied. This animal, distinguished by its hairy coat and enor- 

 mous tusks, had a very extensive range, remains having been obtained 

 from a large number of localities in England, Scotland, Ireland, Central 

 and Southern Europe, Northern Asia and the more northern parts of 

 North America. In Malta and some of the adjacent islands there existed 

 in Pleistocene times a species of Elephant not more than three feet in 

 height, and strange indeed would such a dwarf look to us if restored to 

 the existing fauna of Europe ! 



PROCAVIIDJE (Procavia or Conies; 35 Species). Plate 7, Map ii. 



The small animals constituting this family (formerly known as Hyracidae) 

 were at first regarded as Rodents, to which they bear indeed a superficial 

 resemblance. Anatomical investigations have shown, however, that they 

 really belong to the Order Ungulata, though they form a separate Sub-Order 

 to themselves. The various species (all belonging to one genus, Procavia) 

 are found in mountainous and rocky districts in Arabia, Syria and Africa, in 

 the latter continent ranging from 20° N. latitude to the Cape, but not occur- 

 ring in the central portion. They live upon the leaves and shoots of trees 

 and shrubs, and feed principally in the evening or early morning. Nine 

 species possess arboreal habits, and were formerly placed in a distinct genus 

 under the name of Dendrohyrax. 



RHINOCEROTnLE (Rhinoceroses ; 5 Species). Plate 7, Map ii. 



The unwieldy animals belonging to this family are at the present day 

 absolutely confined to the Oriental and Ethiopian Regions, though, as will 

 be seen below, they had formerly a much more extensive range. Of the 

 three species inhabiting the Oriental Region, that known as the One-horned 

 Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is the best known. This species 

 is now practically confined to the great grass jungles of Assam, though it 

 occurred a few years ago in Sikkim and Nepal, and in the sixteenth century 

 also in the Punjab. In a fossil state it has been found far to the south 

 and west, and it evidently at one time ranged over the whole of the Indian 

 Peninsula. The Javan Rhinoceros (B. sondaicus) is a smaller animal 

 occurring in Bengal, the Sikkim. Terai, Burma, and Assam, ranging also 

 through the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. The Sumatran 

 Rhinoceros (B. sumatrensis) has a similar range to the last, but is absent 

 from Java, and very rare in Assam. 



Only two species are found in the Ethiopian Region, namely, the African 

 or Black Rhinoceros (B. bicornis) and the Square-mouth, Burchell's, or 

 White Rhinoceros (B. simus), as it is variously called. The first of these 

 ranges from Abyssinia through Eastern and Central Africa to Ovampoland 

 and Zululand. The White Rhinoceros is, it is to be feared, verging on ex- 

 tinction, though it is supposed to have formerly inhabited the whole of Cape 

 Colony. 



All the members of this family are supposed to feed exclusively upon 

 grass, and consequently their distribution is largely determined by the 

 nature of the vegetation. 



When the extinct Bhinocerotidse are taken into consideration, over 100 

 species have to be dealt with, which have been grouped into five sub- 

 families. These ancient forms roamed over the whole of Europe, Asia, 

 North Africa, and North America, and one species even occurred in the 

 Argentine Republic. Hence this family appears to be gradually dis- 

 appearing from the face of the earth, and like many other large animals, 

 Rhinoceroses must soon be only represented by museum specimens or 

 fossilised remains. 



EQUID-S: (Horses, Asses, Zebras and Quagga; 15 Species). 

 Plate 7, Map iii. 



The few members of this interesting family are at the present day 

 confined to the Old World, and are especially characteristic of Eastern 

 Africa. The Horse (Equus caballus), now so universally domesticated and 

 improved for various purposes by breeding, was originally found in both 

 Europe and Asia, probably occurring in a wild state up to near the end of 

 the sixteenth century. At the present day it appears to be confined to 

 Central Asia, where it is known as the Tarpan. Przewalsky's Horse (Equus 

 przewalskyi) is an interesting species, or perhaps only a variety, found 

 in the Dzungarian Desert. In America horses in a semi-wild condition 

 now exist in great numbers, but they have all originated from animals 

 introduced since the time of the Spanish Conquest. The Asses, of which 

 about half a dozen species are known, are found in the steppes and deserts 



of Central Asia and in some parts of North-eastern Africa. The most 

 important of these are the Kiang (Equus hemionus), occurring in the high 

 table-lands of Tibet and Mongolia, the Onager (E. onager) of Persia and 

 Syria, the Indian and Baluchi Wild Ass (E. indicus) of N.W. India 

 and adjoining countries, and the African Wild Ass (E. asinus) found in 

 Abyssinia, Somaliland, and adjacent parts of N.E. Africa. Eour or five 

 species of Zebra are usually distinguished, including the Mountain Zebra 

 (E. zebra), confined to the mountainous districts of Cape Colony, Bur- 

 chell's Zebra (E. burchelli), and its varieties, found in the plains north 

 of the Orange River, and in Damaraland and Angola, and Grevy's Zebra 

 (E. grevyi), the largest species, occurring in Shoa and Somaliland. Lastly, 

 the Quagga (E. quagga) was formerly abundant in Cape Colony, the Orange 

 River Colony, and Griqualand West, but, thanks to the zeal of the hunter, 

 now exterminated. 



The fossil members of this family appear to have had a very extensive 

 range, especially in the New World. Nearly 100 species have been 

 described, and the most interesting fact in connection with these fossil forms 

 is that the series already discovered shows a complete transition from the 

 existing species with a single toe to others long ago extinct with three 

 distinct toes to each foot, while a similar gradation is presented by the 

 structure of the teeth. 



BOVHXa: (Oxen, Musk-Ox, Sheep, Goats, Chamois, Antelopes, &c. ; 

 293 Species). Plate 7, Map iv. 



This important family is composed chiefly of Old World forms, only 

 five species occurring in the New World, and these are confined to 

 western and arctic North America. More than half the species are purely 

 African, the other half being distributed over the Palsearctic and Oriental 

 Regions. The Australian and Neotropical Regions and the island of Mada- 

 gascar are thus without representatives, with the exception of the Javan 

 Ox (Bibos sondaicus), which occurs in the island of Timor, and the Anoa 

 (Anoa depressicornis), which is confined to Celebes. 



The Bovidse are usually divided into ten sub-families, and the sig- 

 nificance of their distribution will be best seen by treating of each sub- 

 family separately, commencing with the Antelopes. The first (Bubalinse) 

 contains the animals known as Wildebeests or Gnus (Connochcetes) and 

 Hartebeests (Bubalis and Damaliscus) and their allies, of which about 40 

 species are known. They are confined to Africa, with the exception of one 

 species which ranges into Syria. 



The second sub-family (G ephalophinse) contains two genera of Antelopes 

 bearing the names of Cephalophus and Tetraceros. The first of these con- 

 tains about 40 species confined to Africa, while the second is represented only 

 by the Four-horned Antelope (T. quadricomis), an animal confined to India 

 and differing from all other Ruminants in possessing two pairs of horns in 

 the male. 



The third sub-family (Neotraginse) is entirely African, and contains six 

 genera and 33 species. Among the animals placed in this division may 

 be mentioned the Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), the Steinboks 

 (Pediotragus, &c.) and Salt's Antelope (Madoqua saltiana). 



The fourth sub-family (Cervicaprinse) contains three genera and 28 

 species of Antelope, likewise confined to Africa. Here are placed, amongst 

 others, the Rietbok or Reedbuck (Cervicapra arundinum), the Water Buck 

 (Cobus ellipsiprymnus) and the Rehbok (Pelea capreolus). 



The members of the fifth sub-family (Antilopinse) are of much wider 

 range, occurring in the Palsearctic, Oriental and Ethiopian Regions. Thirty- 

 six species are known, of which 26 are known as Gazelles (Gazella) and are 

 characteristic of the desert regions of Asia and North Africa. The genus 

 JEpyceros contains two species known as Palas, one of which is confined to 

 Southern and South-eastern Africa, and the other to Angola. Most of the 

 other genera are represented by a single species, the best known of which 

 are the Black-buck (Antilope cervicapra) of India, the Saiga (Saiga tatarica) 

 of South-eastern Europe and Western Asia, the Chiru (Pantlwlops hodgsoni) 

 of Tibet and Sikkim, Clarke's Antelope (Ammodorcas clarkei) confined to 

 Somaliland, and the long-necked Waller's Gazelle (Lithocranius walleri) 

 occurring in East Africa. 



The sixth sub-family (Hippotraginse) contains nine handsome species of 

 Antelopes ranging throughout Africa, Arabia and Syria, and belonging to 

 three different genera. The typical genus Hippotragus is represented by 

 the well-known Sable and Roan Antelopes (H. niger and equinus) and 

 confined to Africa. The five species of Oryx are found throughout Africa, 

 and in Arabia and Syria, the best known being that bearing the name of 

 Gemsbok (Oryx gazella). The third genus (Addax) contains a single species 

 inhabiting North Africa and Arabia. 



With the seventh sub-family (Tragelaphinss) we reach the Harnessed 

 Antelopes (Tragelaphus), ten in number, the two species of Kudu (Strep- 

 siceros), the Elands (Oreas), of which likewise two species are known, and 

 the Nilghai (Boselajohus tragocamelus). The last-named animal is confined to 

 India, while all the other Antelopes of this group are exclusively African, 

 being found in most parts of that continent. 



The eighth sub-family (Bupicaprinse) comprises four genera and 25 

 species of goat-like animals found in both the Old and New Worlds. The 

 typical genus contains the well-known Chamois (Bupicapra tragus), which 

 inhabits the high mountain ranges of Europe from the Pyrenees to the 

 Caucasus, and an allied form occurring in Italy. These familiar animals 

 are gregarious, and extremely agile and sure-footed, jumping from rock to 

 rock with wonderful precision. They feed upon lichen or the scanty herbage 

 clothing the mountain slopes. The Gorals of the Himalayas, Tibet, China 

 and Amurland, and the Serows of South-eastern and Eastern Asia, 20 

 species in all, form the genus Nemorrhsedus. Two of the five North 

 American species of Bovidse belongs to the present sub-family. These are 

 (1) the animal inappropriately named from its appearance, the Rocky 

 Mountain Goat (Haplocerus montanus), occurring in the mountains from 

 which its popular name is derived, between the latitudes of 36° and 62° ; and 



