DISTRIBUTION OF OPHIDIANS. 
225 
very marked, which the same species of the Cheiroptera 
present in different countries ; and I may add, that there 
exist among them differences, even in the essential cha- 
racters, as in the length of the muzzle, &c. — See Vol. II. 
of The Monographies of M. Temminck. 
As to Birds, there exist a great number of species 
which live at the same time in different islands of the 
Archipelago, there forming local varieties, sometimes very 
curious, but which are chiefly confined to differences in 
size, and the system of colours. — The class of Beptiles 
presents analogous facts to those observed among mam- 
mifera. The Emys of Spengler is often seen under forms 
so different, that the study of this animal serves only to 
confuse the idea attached to the word species.^ The two- 
rayed Monitor, Mon. bivittatus, which is found in Suma- 
tra, in Java, in Borneo, in Celebes, and also in the Isle 
of Lu^an, varies more or less, according to the place which 
it inhabits ; whence several naturalists have considered it 
as constituting different species, although their differences 
often resolve themselves into trifling discrepancies in the 
system of colouring. The same observation, perhaps, is 
also applicable to the Indian Basilisk that inhabits 
Celebes, Amboina, and the Philippines. The Scink of 
Kuhl appears to be spread over India, from Bengal to the 
Philippine and Marianne Islands : the individuals from 
Bengal, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Celebes, offer no sen- 
sible differences ; but those from Timor have more vivid 
and more decided tints. As to the Dracones, it is scarce- 
ly possible, in a few words, to give an abstract of all the 
differences which each species presents, according to the 
different place it inhabits.!* The Spotted Gecko (Lacerta 
Gecko, Linn.) of Timor presents tints a little darker than 
that of Java. The Crab- eating Frog and Kana leucomys- 
tax, which are absolutely identical in all the Sunda Islands, 
and also in the Philippines, depart from the typical race at 
^ All that we might offer, to prove our assertions, would be super- 
fluous: dissection can alone justify our ideas on this point. 
t We beg leave to refer to the third number of our AbMldungen, where 
we have very amply treated of this subject. 
