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

—chap, xi.] THE ETHIOPIAN REGION. 279the right hand corner is the Lcptosoma discolor, a bird whichappears to be intermediate between such very distinct familiesas the cuckoos and the rollers, and is therefore considered toform a family by itself. It is a coppery-green above and nearlywhite beneath, with a black bill and red feet. The fan-shapedplant on the left is the traveller's tree (Urania speciosa), one ofthe peculiar forms of vegetation in this marvellous island.Reptiles.—These present some very curious features,comparativelyfew of the African groups being represented, while thereare a considerable number of Eastern and even of Americanforms. Beginning with the snakes, we find, in the enormousfamily of Colubridse, none of the African types ; but instead ofthem three genera Herpetodryas, PMlodryas, and Heterodon—only found elsewhere in South and North America. ThePsammophidse, which are both African and Indian, are representedby a peculiar genus, Mimophis. The Dendrophidse arerepresented by Ahcetvlla, a genus which is both African andAmerican. The Dryiophidse, which inhabit all the tropics butare most developed in the Oriental region, are represented bya peculiar genus, Langaha. The tropical Pythonidse are representedby another peculiar genus, Sanzinia. The Lycodontidaeand Viperidse, so well developed in Africa, are entirely absent.The lizards are no less remarkable. The Zonuridse, abundantlydeveloped in Africa, are represented by one peculiargenus, Cicigna. The wide-spread Scincidae by another peculiarThe African Sepsidse, are represented by threegenus, Pygomeles.genera, two of which are African, and one, Amphiglossus, peculiar.The Acontiadse are represented by a species of the African genusAcontias. Of Scincidae there is the wide-spread Euprepes. TheSepidse are represented by the African genera Seps and Scelotes.The Geckotidse are not represented by any purely Africangenera, but by Phyllodactylus, which is American and Australian;Hemidactyhis, which is spread over all the tropics ; bytwo peculiar genera ;and by Uroplatis, GecJcolepis, and Phelsuma,confined to Madagascar, Bourbon, and the Andaman Islands.The Agamidae, which are mostly Oriental and are represented in