HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL 



as are also the curious Lycaon pictus (Cape Hunting Dog), and Otocyon 

 megalotis (Long-eared Dog). The Indicatoridse (Honey-Guides) and Coliidse 

 (Colies) apparently have their metropolis in this sub-region, while the 

 S&rpentariidae (Secretary Birds), Struthionidse (Ostriches), and Rhachio- 

 dontidse (Egg-eating Snake), are very characteristic groups, though they 

 extend also to other parts of Africa. 



Malagasy Sub-region. — The fauna of this sub-region is one of the most 

 interesting in the whole world. Its zoological peculiarities and its claim 

 to regional rank have been alluded to above. Of the 86 families of 

 terrestrial Vertebrates found within this area, no fewer than eight are 

 absolutely confined to it. These are the following : — 



Mammals — 



Chiromyidse (Aye-Aye). 

 Centetidse (Tenrecs). 



Birds— 



Aerocharidse (Helmet-Bird). 

 Vangidse. 



Birds — continued — 

 Philepittidse. 



Leptosomatidse (Kiroumbos). 

 Mesoenatidse. 



Reptiles — 



Uroplatidse. 



The most characteristic family of Mammals is the Lemuridse. Within 

 this family the true Lemurs are grouped together to form a sub-family, 

 known as Lemurinse, and all the 35 known species are absolutely confined 

 to Madagascar and the small neighbouring islands. This fact, indeed, is 

 responsible for the use of the word " Lemuria," to designate the hypothetical 

 continent or land-connection, which is supposed to have stretched across the 

 present Indian Ocean (vide supra). Of Chiroptera, four families are repre- 

 sented, and of Insectivora three, of which one (Centetidse) is peculiar, and 

 another (Potamogalidse) is found also in West Africa, but not elsewhere. 

 The few (nine) Carnivora in this sub-region belong to the Viverridse, and 

 two of them are highly peculiar, viz., the Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) and 

 Daubenton's Civet (Fossa fossa). A dozen Mice occur in Madagascar, all 

 belonging to a special sub-family (Nesomyinse), and these are the only 

 representatives of the great order of Rodents found in the sub-region. 

 Lastly, a species of River Hog (Potamochcerus larvattis) forms the only 

 Ungulate, or hoofed animal, found in the island, and completes the very 

 peculiar list of Mammals inhabiting this remarkable area. 



Of Birds, some 55 families are represented, five of which are peculiar, as 

 shown above. Fifteen families of Reptiles occur, of which one (Uroplatidse) 

 is confined to the sub-region, while the presence of two genera of Iguanidse 

 is of special interest, since this is an essentially New World group. 

 Finally, the interesting Chamseleontidse (Chameleons) are very charac- 

 teristic of Madagascar, for they are here more abundant than in any other 

 part of the world. 



Number of Families of terrestrial Vertebrates in the Ethiopian 

 Eegion and its Four Sub-regions. 



Ethiopian Region in General 



East African Sub -region 



"West ,, ,, 



South ,, ,. 



Mammals. 



Birds. 



Reptiles. 



Amphibians. 



44 (12) » 



84 (13) 



26(4) 



7(1) 



39(1) 

 33 

 35 

 12(2) 



76(1) 

 73 



73(1) 

 55(5) 



24 

 22 

 21 

 15(1) 



6 

 6 

 4 

 4 



Total. 



161 (30) 



145 (2) 

 134 

 133 (1) 



86(8) 



The figures within parentheses indicate the number of peculiar families. 



III. THE ORIENTAL REGION. 



Extent. — This region includes those portions of continental Asia which 

 are not comprised in the Paleearctic and Ethiopian Regions, together with 

 the Malay Archipelago as far east as, and including, Bali, Borneo, the 

 Philippine Islands, and Formosa. 



Sub-regions. — The four sub-regions adopted by Wallace are: — (1) 

 Indian; (2) Ceylonese; (3) Indo-Chinese; and (4) Indo-Malayan. The first 

 of these consists of Central and Northern India, from the River Indus and 

 the foot of the Himalayas southwards to Goa and the River Kistna, the line 

 of demarcation taking a southward bend nearly as far as Mysore. The rest 

 of the Indian Peninsula and the island of Ceylon form the Ceylonese Sub- 

 reo-ion, while China, south of the Pahearctic boundary, Burma, Anam, and 

 Siam as far south as Tenasserim, together with the islands of Hainan and 

 Formosa, constitute the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. The Indo-Malayan 

 Sub-re<non includes the Malay Peninsula and all those islands of the 

 Malay Archipelago which fall within the Oriental Region. 



Physical Features. — In proportion to the extent of its land surface the 

 Oriental Region presents a great variety of physical features. The Indian 

 Sub-re°don is, in its northern portion, chiefly composed of plain and desert, 

 more particularly in the watersheds of the great rivers Indus and Ganges. 

 Its fauna, as a whole, shows a decided affinity to that of the Ethiopian 

 Region, while the desert country in the north-west is debatable ground, 

 and may be regarded as a transition tract between the Oriental and 

 Paltearctic Regions. The southern portion of India is more luxuriant than 

 the northern, and largely covered with tropical forest, with a series of 

 elevated tracts culminating in the Western and Eastern Ghats. Ceylon, 

 the Indo-Chinese Sub-region, and most of the Malayan islands are almost 

 entirely covered with tropical forests of a most luxuriant character, and 

 possess a varied and extremely rich fauna. Finally, in the extreme 

 northern portion of the region, where the great mountain ranges occur, 

 and especially between Bhutan and Yang-tse-kiang, we find more temperate 

 ■conditions, with an interesting mingling of Paleearctic and Oriental types 

 of animal life. 



Zoological Characteristics. — In this region the terrestrial Yertebrates are 

 represented by 153 families, of which 10 are peculiar. These comprise four 

 of Mammals, one of Birds, and five of Reptiles, as shown in the following 

 list :— 



Mammals — 



Hylobatidse (Gibbons). 

 Tarsiidse (Tarsiers). 

 Galeopithecidse (Flying Lemurs). 

 Tupaiidse (Tree-Shrews). 



Birds— 



Eurylsemidse (Broad-Bills). 



Eeptiles — 



Elachistodontidse . 

 Uropeltidse (Shield-Tails). 

 Lanthanotidse. 

 Gavialidse (Gavials). 

 Platysternidse (Big-Headed Tor- 

 toise). 



In addition to the above, several well-known species and genera are 

 quite characteristic. Among Mammals the Orang-Utan (Simia satyrus), the 

 Macaque Monkeys (Macacus), the Tiger (Felis tigris), the Indian Elephant 

 (Elephas maximus), the Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus), and three out of 

 the five known species of Rhinoceros are nearly or quite confined to the 

 region, while the families Tragulidse (Chevrotains) and Manidse (Pangolins) 

 are very characteristic. Although only one family of Birds is given above 

 as peculiar, yet many others have their metropolis in the Oriental Region, 

 such as the Sturnidse (Starlings), Dicruridse (Drongos), Oriolidse (Orioles), 

 Dicseidse (Honey-Peckers), Timeliidse (Babbling Thrushes), Pycnonotidse 

 (Bulbuls), Pittidse (Pittas), and many others. Reptiles and Amphibians 

 are very well represented in this region, for besides the five peculiar 

 families above enumerated, the following are characteristic : — llysiidse 

 (Cylinder Snakes), Xenopeltidse, Acrochordidee (Wart Snakes), Homa- 

 lopsidse (Oriental Fresh-Water Snakes), Crotalidse (Pit Yipers, &c), 

 Agamidse, Varanidse (Monitors), Dibamidse, Trionychidse (Soft Tortoises), 

 and Dyscop)hidee. 



Among Butterflies the families Elymniidse and Morphidse are charac- 

 teristic (though not peculiar), while Ornithoptera, Delias, Euploea, Kallima, 

 and Euthalia may be cited as examples of handsome and highly-characteristic 

 genera. The same may be said of the Coleopterous genera Odontolabis, 

 Melolontha, and Chrysochroa. 



Indian Sub-region. — Of the 123 families of terrestrial Yertebrates 

 inhabiting this area, only one is peculiar, namely, the Elachistodontidee, 

 which includes a single species of Colubrine Snake. Beyond this, there 

 appears to be little to mark off this Sub-region as distinct. Indeed, by 

 Sclater and other authors, the first two of Wallace's Sub-regions, which 

 together include the whole of the peninsula of India and Ceylon, are 

 regarded as one. Even if this plan be followed, only four genera of 

 Mammals and a second family of Reptiles are found to be peculiar, as 

 follows : — Tetraceros (Four-horned Antelope), Antilope (Black Buck), 

 Boselaphus (Nylghaie), Melursus (Indian or Sloth Bear), and the Uropeltidse 

 (Shield-Tails). 



Ceylonese Sub-region. — The main peculiarities of this area are the ex- 

 clusive possession of the curious family of Snakes, known as Shield-Tails 

 ( Uropeltidse), and the presence of the Boris, or Slender Lemur, which does 

 not occur in Northern India, though recorded from Eastern Burma. The 

 genus Platacanthomys (Spiny Rat) is also characteristic, only occurring 

 elsewhere in Cochin China. The families of terrestrial Yertebrates inhabit- 

 ing this doubtfully distinct area number 122, and are nearly identical with 

 those of the previous sub-region. 



Indo-Chinese Sub-region. — The fauna of this area is much richer and 

 more varied than that of any other Oriental Sub-region. Out of the 153 

 families of terrestrial Vertebrates found in the Oriental Region, no fewer 

 than 138 are represented, and one family of Tortoises, namely, the Platy- 

 sternidse, is peculiar. Among Mammals, three genera are almost or quite 

 confined to this area, namely, Budorcas (Takin) ; Hapalomys (family 

 Muridse) ; and Ailurus (Panda), whose nearest relatives are the American 

 Raccoons (Procyonidse) ; while the peculiar genera of birds are far too 

 numerous to mention. It is interesting to observe how many typically 

 Paleearctic families extend their range into the present sub-region ; among 

 these may be mentioned the Talpidse (Moles), Troglodytidse (Wrens), 

 Iyngidse (Wrynecks), Liscoglossidse (Disc-tongued Frogs), and Salamandridse 

 (Salamanders). On the other hand a truly Malayan character is given to 

 the fauna by the presence of the Hylobatidse (Gibbons), Galeopithecidse 

 (Flying Lemurs), Rhinoceros sondaicus (the Javan Rhinoceros), Tapirus 

 indicus (the Malayan Tapir), and among Birds the Eurylsemidse (Broad- 

 Bills). 



Indo-Malayan Sub-region. — In this sub-region occur 132 families of 

 terrestrial Yertebrates, of which one, the Lanthanotidse (a family of lizards), 

 is peculiar, and another, the Tarsiidse, practically so, since it only slightly 

 oversteps the boundary of the Australian Region (occurring in Celebes and 

 the small islands immediately adjacent). In addition, several genera of 

 Mammals are peculiar, giving this sub-region its strongly Oriental char- 

 acter. Among these may be mentioned Simia (the Orang-Utan), Nasalis 

 (the Proboscis Monkey), Hemigale and Cynogale (family Viverridse), Mydaus 

 (Malayan Badger), and some small Rodents. The genus Tupaia (Tree- 

 Shrews) is extremely well represented and characteristic, while the 

 Hylobatidse (Gibbons), the Galeopithecidse (Flying Lemurs), two species of 

 Rhinoceros, the Malayan Tapir and the Eurylsemidse (Broad-Bills) are 

 peculiarly Oriental forms which this sub-regicn shares with the Indo- 

 Chinese. The typically Australian Cacatuidce (Cockatoos) are represented 

 by a single species in the Philippines, while the Megapodidce (Megapodes), 

 another essentially Australian group, occur in the Philippines, Borneo, and 

 the Nicobar Islands. 



Lastly, it is interesting to note that many families which have a wide 

 range in the Old World, or in both Old and New Worlds, are sharply limited 

 to the south-east by a theoretical line drawn between the adjacent islands of 

 Bali and Lombok and continued northwards between Borneo and Celebes. 

 This line, indeed, is identical with the boundary between the Oriental and 

 the Australian Regions, as defined by Wallace. Since this author was the 



