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

;326 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [part hi.problem admittedly depends. It will, perhaps, be said that agreat many of the 88 genera above given are very scarce and verybut this is certainly not the case with the majority of themlocal ;and even where it is so, that does not in any degree affect theirvalue as indicating zoo-geographical affinities. It is the presenceof a type in a region, not its abundance orscarcity, that isthe important fact ; and when we have to do, as we have here,with many groups whose habits and mode of life necessarilyseclude them from observation, theireven be a fact.supposed scarcity may notReptiles and Amphibia.—Pieptiles entirely agree with Mammaliaand Birds in the main features of their distribution.Out of 17 families of snakes inhabiting Hindostan, 16 rangeover the greater part of the entire region, and only two canbe supposed to show any Ethiopian affinity. These are thePsammophidre and Erycidee, both desert-haunting groups, andalmost as much South Palsearctic as African. The genus Tropidococcyxis peculiar to the sub-region, and Aspidura, Passeritaand Cynopliis to the peninsula and Ceylon ; while a large numberof the most characteristic genera, as Dipsas, Simotes, Bungarus,Naja, Trimeresurus, Lycodon and Python, are characteristicallyOriental.Of the six families of lizards all have a wide range Thegenera Eumeces, Pentadactylus, Gecko, Eublepharis, and Draco, arecharacteristically or wholly Oriental ; Ophiops and Uromastixare Palrearctic ; while Cliammlcon is the solitary case of decidedEthiopian affinity.Of the Amphibia not a single family exhibits special Ethiopianaffinities.II.Sub-region of Ceylon and South-India.The Island of Ceylon is characterised by such striking peculiaritiesin its animal productions, as to render necessary itsseparation from the peninsula of India as a sub-region ;but itis found that most of these special features extend to the Neilgherriesand the whole southern mountainous portion of India,and that the two must be united inany zoo-geographical pro-