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Notices of Boohs. 
699 
geography propounded by Mr. Wallace. On comparing the 
mammalian fauna of the Oriental region with those of the three 
neighbouring regions, they consider that the strongest affinities 
are with the most distant of the three — the Ethiopian. This, 
they hold, points to the existence of an older fauna once common 
to Africa and India, though now partly replaced in either country 
by newer types. It has been supposed that Ceylon, with the 
southern portion of the Indian peninsula, may have been united 
with the Malay countries later than with Africa. As far, how- 
ever, as the sea-bottom between Ceylon and the Malay Islands 
is known, there is nothing to prove a recent extension of land in 
this direction. The affinities of the land-shells of India are 
rather with the Australian than with the African fauna. As 
these molluscs are supposed to be of very high antiquity, the 
resemblance may be due to a communication existing in the 
Mesozoic times. 
The existence of a former continent, Lemuria, stretching from 
Madagascar to the Malay Islands, and connected at times with 
Africa, and at times again with Asia, still remains a speculative 
question. But that the interval between Africa and India was 
once bridged over, so as to admit of the easy interchange of 
mammalian species, scarcely admits of doubt. 
As regards its soils, the authors state that India may be very 
roughly divided into the extra-tropical wheat-region ; the damper 
portion of tropical India — the rice, sugar, &c., country ; and the 
drier tropical parts — the so-called black-soil country, suitable for 
the cultivation of cotton. The wild florae of these three regions 
are respectively as distincft as are the cultivated crops. 
Pre-historic implements, bearing marks of human or anthro- 
poid industry, have been found in India to a considerable extent. 
Chipped palaeolithic weapons were first found near Madras by 
Messrs. Foote, King, and Oldham, and have been subsequently 
met with in Orissa, Bengal, and Assam. Knives made from 
agate, flint, or chert are possibly of more recent origin than the 
quartzite implements. Similar flakes are still in use among the 
natives of the Andamans. Neolithic stone implements — so- 
called “ Celts ” — with surfaces smoothed by grinding, have been 
noticed at Kirwi, Chutia Nagpur, and Kurg. A single bronze 
axe has been discovered near Jabalpur. Copper weapons are 
more numerous, but still scarce. Iron implements are abundant, 
and the authors suggest that the art of working this metal may 
have been discovered earlier in India than in more western 
regions. They consider that closer and more extended research 
in India will doubtless bring to light important evidence on the 
earlier career of the human species. 
The work is illustrated with a judicious assortment of figures 
of Indian fossils of different epochs, and is further provided 
with an Appendix in the shape of a very large geological map, 
which forms a companion volume. 
