238 
GEOGRAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. 
[PAET IV. 
The Octodontidas include a number of curious and obscure 
rat-like animals, mostly confined to the mountains and open 
plains of South America, but having a few stragglers in other 
parts of the world, as will be seen by our notes on the genera. 
The most remarkable point in their distribution is, that two 
genera are peculiar to the West Indian islands, while no species 
of the family inhabits the northern half of South America. 
The distribution of the genera is as follows : — Habrocomus (2 
sp.), Chili ; Capromys (3 sp.), two of which inhabit Cuba, the 
third Jamaica (Plate XVII. vol. ii. p. 67) ; Plagiodontia (1 sp.), 
only known from Hayti; Spalacopus, including Schizodon (2 
sp.), Chili, and east side of Southern Andes ; Octodon (3 sp.), 
Peru, Bolivia, and Chili ; Ctenomys {6 sp.), the tuco-tuco of the 
Pampas, the Campos of Brazil to Bolivia and Tierra del Puego ; 
Ctenodactylus (1 sp.), Tripoli, North Africa ; Pedinator (1 sp.), 
East Africa, Abyssinia, 4,000 to 5,000 feet. 
Capromys and Plagiodontia, the two West Indian genera, 
were classed among the Echimyidse by Mr. Waterhouse, but 
Professor Lilljeborg removes them to this family. 
Extinct Ododontidce, — Species of Ctenomys have been found 
in the Pliocene of La Plata, and an extinct genus Me gamy s, said 
to be allied to Capromys, in the Eocene of the same country. 
In Europe, Palmomys and Archceomys from the lower Miocene of 
Germany and France, are also said to be allied to Capromys. 
Family 65. — ECHIMYIDZE. (10 Genera, 30 Species.) 
General Distribution. 
N EOTROPICAL 
SrB-REOIONS. 
NE ARCTIC 
SUB-BEOroNS. 
Pal^earctic 
Sub-regions. 
Ethiopian 
Sub-regions. 
Oriental 
Sub-regions. 
Australian 
Sub-regions. 
1 
1 
H 
The Echimyida?, or spiny rats, are a family, chiefly South 
American, of which the Coypu, a large beaver-like water-rat 
from Peru and Chili is the best known. Two of the genera are 
found in South Africa, but all the rest inhabit the continent of 
South America, East of the Andes, none being yet known north 
