182 
ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. 
[PART III. 
Western America, but the remaining genera, six in number, are 
all exclusively Palsearctic. 
Among Carnivora we have Ryctereutes , the curious racoon-dog 
of Japan and North-Eastern Asia ; Lutronectes , an otter peculiar 
to Japan ; and the badger (Meles), which ranges over the whole 
region, and just enters the Oriental region as far as Hongkong ; 
JEluropus, a curious form of the Himalayan panda, inhabiting 
the high mountains of Eastern Thibet ; and Pdagius , a genus of 
seals, ranging from the shores of Madeira to the Black Sea. 
The Ungulata, or hoofed animals, are still more productive of 
forms peculiar to this region. First we have the Camels, whose 
native home is the desert region of Central and Western Asia and 
Northern Africa, and which, even in their domesticated condition, 
are confined almost wholly within the limits of the Palsearctic 
region. Of Deer we have six peculiar genera, Dama and Capreolus 
found in Europe, with Elaphodus t Lophotrcigiis, Hydropotes, and 
Moschus , confined to Northern China and Mongolia. The great 
family Bovidse — comprising the oxen, sheep, goats and antelopes 
— furnishes no less than seven peculiar Palsearctic genera. 
These are Poephagus , the yak of Thibet; A ddax, a well-known 
antelope of Northern Africa and Syria ; Procapra , Pantho- 
lops and Budorcas, antelopine genera peculiar to Thibet and 
Mongolia ; with Rupicapra (the chamois), and the extraordinary 
large-nosed antelope Saiga , confined to Europe and Western Asia. 
Besides these we have Capra (the wild sheep and goats), all the 
numerous species of which, except two, are exclusively Pal a? arctic. 
Coming to the Eodents, we have again many peculiar forms. 
Of Muridae (the mouse and rat tribe), we have six peculiar 
genera, the more important being Cricetus, Rhombomys Smin - 
thus , and Myospalax. Of Spalacidae (mole-rats) both the Palae- 
arctic genera, Ellobius and Spalax , are peculiar. Ctenodadylus , 
a genus of the South American family Octodontidas, is found 
only in North Africa. To these we may add Myoxus (the 
dormice) and Lagomys (the pikas or tail-less hares) as essentially 
Palsearctic, since but one species of each genus is found be- 
yond the limits of the region. 
Birds . — Tt appears to have been the opinion of many natural- 
