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

—;260 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [part in.Mammalia.—The only forms of Mammalia peculiar to thissub-region are Tlieropithccus, one of the Cynopithecidae confinedto Abyssinia ; Petrodromus and Rhynchocyon, belonging to theinsectivorous Macroscelididse, have only been found in Mozambique; the Antelopine genus Neotragus, from Abyssinia southward;Saccostomus and Pclomys genera of Muridas inhabitingMozambique ; Rcteroccphalus from Abyssinia, and Heliophobiusfrom Mozambique, belonging to the Spalacidre ; and Pectinatorfrom Abyssinia, belonging to the Octodontidse. Cynocephalus,Rhinoceros, Camclopardalis, and antelopes of the genera Oryx,Cervicapra, Kobus, Nanotragus, Cephalophus,Hippotragus, Alcephalus,and Catoblepas, are characteristic; as well as Felis,Hyama, and numerous civets and ichneumons.Birds.—Peculiar forms of birds are hardly to be found herewe only meet with two Hypocolius, a genus of shrikes in Abyssinia;and Balmniccps, the great boat-billed heron of the UpperNile.Yet throughout the country birds are abundant, and mostof the typical Ethiopian forms are well represented.Reptiles.—Of reptiles, the only peculiar forms recorded areXenocalamus, a genus of snakes, belonging tothe Calamariid*and Pythonodipsas, one of the Dipsadidae, both from the Zambesiand among lizards, Pisturus, one of the Geckotidse,Amphibia and Fishes.—-There are no peculiar forms of amphibiaor of fresh-water fishes.Insects.—Insects are almost equallyforms.unproductive of peculiarAmong butterflies we have Abantis, one of the Hesperidae,from Mozambique ; and in Coleoptera, 2 genera of Cicindelidre,8 of Carabidaa, 1 or 2 of Cetoniidre, and about half-a-dozen ofLongicorns :a mere nothing, as we shall see, compared with thehosts of peculiar genera that characterise each of the otherfrom Abyssinia.subregions.Neither do land-shells appear to present any peculiarforms.The fact that so very few special types characterise the extensivearea now under consideration is very noteworthy.It justifiesus in uniting this large and widespread tract of country asforming essentially but one sub-division of the great Ethiopian