54 PHYSIOGRAPHIC GEOLOGY. 



young. The Australian region (which includes also New Guinea, Celebes, and some 

 islands just west) has also numerous Amphibians, more, says Wallace, than any other 

 continent except South America, and but few Reptiles. It is also noted for its number of 

 species of Pigeons, two fifths of all that are known being confined to it; for its King- 

 fishers, the fauna embracing three fourths of all kinds living ; for Birds of Paradise, Lyre 

 Birds (the Menurids), its many Parrots, those of the Australia-Malay area comprising 

 176 species ; and under the Ostrich type, its Cassowaries (genus Casuarius) of 11 .species, 

 and Emeus (Dromseus) of 2 species. 



New Zealand, which is also a part of the Australian region, has 2 Bats for its only 

 Mammals ; the Apteryx, among its Birds ; a single Frog among Amphibians ; a dozen 

 Lizards ; a Reptile of palteic characteristics, the Hatteria or Sphenodon, which has but 1 

 species (S. punctatum), the last of an otherwise extinct tribe, the Rhynchocephalidse. It is 

 very poor in Insects, having only 11 species of Butterflies, with about 300 Coleopters 

 (Wallace). Besides these, there were, one or two centuries or farther back, the now 

 extinct birds, Dinornis, Palapteryx, and many others of Ostrich-like character. On 

 Chatham Island, 500 miles east of New Zealand, but within what may be called New Zea- 

 land seas, there have been found the remains of a flightless bird akin to those of New 

 Zealand. 



The Oriental region, including India and eastward to southern Japan, with Sumatra, 

 Java, Borneo, etc. — This tropical region, directly north and northwest of the Australian, 

 is wonderfully different from it. There are no Marsupials or Monotremes ; but instead 

 Mammals of other kinds, Man-apes, as the Orang-outang, and Lemurs, Lions, Tigers, 

 Hyenas, Bears, Elephants, Rhinoceroses, Manis among Edentates, and among Reptiles, 

 Crocodile and Gavials. 



The African or Ethiopian region, including the part of Africa south of the Atlas 

 Mountains, with Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. — The Ethiopian region com- 

 prises in its fauna the Hippopotamus, Rhinoceros, Camelopard, Elephant, Lion, Hyena, 

 a characteristic type, Hyrax, Horses (Zebras), the Orycteropus and Manis (Ant-eaters) 

 among Edentates ; the Hedgehog among Insectivores ; Anthropoid Apes, as the Gorilla, 

 besides other Quadrumana (all of which have 32 teeth, like Man), and also many Lemurs ; 

 but no Camels, or Bears, or Deer, or Oxen, or species of Sus (Pig). It has among its 

 Birds two species of Ostrich of the genus Struthio. 



Madagascar not long since had its ^pyornis, related to the Dinornis of New Zealand 

 and the Mascarene Islands, the Dodo {Didus ineptus), and other birds now extinct. 

 Madagascar is noted also for its Lemurs, of which there are 35 species. 



The South American or Neotropical region, comprising South America, the West 

 Indies and Central America, and Mexico. — The Neotropical region is remarkable for the 

 number of peculiar families and genera. They embrace Monkeys with prehensile tails, 

 that have a molar tooth more in each jaw than those of Afi'ica ; Tapirs ; Llamas, Vicuna 

 and Guanaco, of the Camel family ; Dicotyles, or Peccary, among Wild Boars ; Ant- 

 eaters, Sloths, and Armadillos among Edentates ; Marsupials, in which it is related 

 to the Australian region. Among Birds, there are in America all the Humming Birds of 

 the world, some 400 species in more than 100 genera, having a range from Patagonia 

 to Sitka ; Parrots, numbering 141 species ; Toucans ; the Rhea, of the Ostrich family — a 

 family confined to the three southern continents, Australia, Africa, and South America ; 

 among Reptiles, Alligators, Crocodiles, and many Amphibians, being next to Australian 

 in their number and variety ; and among Fishes, the Lepidosiren, related to the Dipnoi 

 of Africa and Australia. 



Within this region the West India Islands are remarkable, like some of the Hawaiian 

 Islands in the Pacific, for the number of their land-shells, numbering 608 species of 

 Operculates and 737 of Inoperculates. The number of the former in South America is 

 151, of the latter 1251. 



