216 
ON THE OEOaRAPHICAL 
tints. Northern Africa produces several species of ser- 
pents differing from those of the rest of Africa ; such as 
the Eryx and the Vipera Echis, which are found also in 
Hindustan, the Cerastes, the Dipsas, and several Colubri. 
Other species, like the Naja Haje, the Psammophis moni- 
liger, differ more or less from their representatives in 
Southern Africa. The regions of that continent, border- 
ing on the Mediterranean, support several species which 
are also found in Southern Europe ; and this analogy, 
between the animals in these two parts of the world, is 
particularly sensible on comparing those of the coasts of 
Barbary with the animals of Spain and Portugal, countries 
which, by the nature of their productions, approximate more 
to Africa than to Europe.^ No serpents have yet been ob- 
served in the islands situate in the meridian of Africa ; 
and it may be considered as certain that the Canaries do 
not furnish a single species. t 
The large island of Madagascar appears to belong to 
Africa only in its western part, or on that side of the chain 
of mountains which passes through the whole length of 
that unexplored land. It resembles India in the produc- 
tions of its eastern side, the only part of which we know 
any thing. This vast island, however, presents a Fauna 
altogether peculiar in many respects ; and we might per- 
haps apply the same remark to the adjacent islands. In 
those regions, the Dodo was formerly discovered; and there 
also are found the Lemurs, and the anomalous species 
known under the name of Cheirogaleus, the Aye-aye, the 
Cameleon with a forked nose (in which the nasal promi- 
nences are subject to variation, and which has been intro- 
duced into several other isles), the Ptyodactylus fimbriatus ; 
and, with the exception of the Tropidonotus schistosus, 
which also inhabits a great part of Asia, all the serpents 
of this country belong to peculiar species. We may cite 
* The Iberian peninsula produces the Cameleon, the Genette, an Am- 
phisbcena, and many birds unknown to the rest of Europe. 
t I should here observe, that the reptiles of Teneriife belong to Euro- 
pean species ; but that all the Saurians of that Island have colours ex- 
tremely dark : there is found the ocellated Schink, the Wall-Lizard, and 
the common Frog. 
