are of peculiar species, except two, which range from
Malacca into India. Of the cattle, one Indian species
reaches Malacca, while the Bos sondiacus of Java and
Borneo is also found in Siam and Burmah. A goat-like
animal is found in Sumatra which has its representative
in India j while the two-horned rhinoceros of Sumatra
and the single-horned species of Java, long supposed to be
peculiar to these islands, are now both ascertained to
exist in Burmah, Pegu, and Moulmein. The elephant of
Sumatra, Borneo, and Malacca is now considered to be
identical with that of Ceylon and India.
In all other groups of Mammalia the same general
phenomena recur. A few species are identical with those
of India. A much larger number are closely allied or
representative forms; while there are always a small
number of peculiar genera, consisting of animals unlike
those found in any other part of the world. There are
about fifty bats, of which less than one-fourth are Indian
species; thirty-four Kodents (squirrels, rats, &c.), of which
six or eight only are Indian; and ten Insectivora, with one
exception peculiar to the Malay region. The squirrels are
very abundant and characteristic, only two species out of
twmnty-five extending into Siam and Burmah. The
Tupaias are curious insect-eaters, which closely resemble
squirrels, and are almost confined to the Malay islands, as
are the small feather-tailed Ptilocerus lowii of Borneo,
and the curious long-snouted and naked-tailed Gymnurus
raffiesii.
As the Malay peninsula is a part of thé continent of
Asia, the question of the former union of the islands to
the mainland will be best elucidated by studying the
species which are found in the former district, and also in
some of the islands. Now, if we entirely leave out of consideration
the bats, which have the power of flight, there
are still forty-eight species of mammals common to. the
Malay peninsula and the three large islands. Among these
are seven Quadrumana (apes, monkeys, and lemurs), animals
who pass their whole existence in forests, who never swim,
and who would be quite unable to traverse a single mile of
sea ; nineteen Carnivora, some of which no doubt might
cross by swimming, but we cannot suppose so large a
number to have passed in this wTay across a strait which,
except at one point, is from thirty to fifty miles wide ; and
five hoofed animals, including the Tapir, two species of
rhinoceros, and an elephant. Besides these there are
thirteen Bodents and four Insectivora, including a shrew-
mouse and six squirrels, whose unaided passage over
twenty miles of sea is even more inconceivable than that
of the larger animals.
But when we come to the cases of the same species
inhabiting two of the more widely separated islands, the
difficulty is much increased. Borneo is distant nearly