The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...

74 DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS. [part i.seated local peculiarities. Two portions can be marked off aspossessing many peculiar forms ; the luxuriant forest districtof equatorial West Africa, and the southern extremity or Capedistrict. The remaining portion has no well-marked divisions,and a large proportion of its animal forms range over it fromNubia and Abyssinia, to Senegal on the one side and to theZambesi on the other ; this forms our first or East-Africansub-region.The second, or West African sub-region extends along thecoast from Senegal to Angola, and inland to the sources of theShary and the Congo.The third, or South African sub-region, comprises the CapeColony and Natal, and is roughly limited by a line from DelagoaBay to Walvish Bay.The fourth, or Malagasy sub-region, consists of Madagascar andthe adjacent islands, from Eodriguez to the Seychelles ;and thisdiffers so remarkably from the continent that it has been proposedto form a distinct primary region for its reception. Itsproductions are indeed highly interesting; since it possesses3 families, and 2 sub-families of mammals peculiar to itself,while almost all its genera are peculiar. Of these a fewshow Oriental or Ethiopian affinities, but the remainder arequite isolated. Turning to other classes of animals, we findthat the birds are almost as remarkable ; but, as might beexpected, a larger number of genera are common to surroundingcountries. More than 30 genera are altogether peculiar,in separate families or sub-families.and some of these are so isolated as to require to be classedThe African affinity is howeverhere more strongly shown by the considerable number (13)of peculiar Ethiopian genera which in Madagascar have representativespecies. There can be no doubt therefore about Madagascarbeing more nearly related to the Ethiopian than to anyother region ; but its peculiarities are so great, that, were it notfor its small size and the limited extent of its fauna, its claim torank as a separate region might not seem unreasonable. It istrue that it is not poorer in mammals than Australia ;but thatcountry is far more isolated, and cannot be so decidedly and