races peculiar to it, and such as never make their appearance
in the old world.
Thirdly.—The equatorial region contains three great tracts,
separated from each other by wide seas. We must expect
to find in them three distinct assemblages of intertropical
quadrupeds, viz. the American, the African, and the Indian.
Fourthly .-—The great and numerous islands of the Indian
Archipelago, separate, and perhaps anciently torn from the
Continent of Asia, form with reference to their geographical
position, a distinct region of the earth, which is similar in
climate and in its vegetable productions to the hottest parts
of Africa. Here we shall expect to discover mammifers „and
reptiles of peculiar character.
Fifthly .-^Beyond the Indian Archipelago, we find a remarkable
country, very fertile in vegetable productions. Papua
includes Hew Guinea, New Britain, and New Ireland. The
lofty-mountain-ranges which support it, spread themselves
out in several great arms, and run southwards into, the
Pacific, forming straits and groupes of islands, everywhere
attaining a considerable' elevation. The Archipelago r-of
Solomon, the Arsacidse, Louisiade, Santa Cruz, Tierra del
Espiritu Santo, the New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and perhaps
the two long islands of New Zealand, appear to <be
branches of the same central region.
The more remote groupes of islands in the great southern,
ocean may be reckoned as parts of the same zoologica^pro-
vince. The whole, of this region ip placed under circumstances,
likely to call forth the most abundant productions
of organized nature. In fact its vegetation is luxuriant; but
as we might expect to find in conformity with the preceding
observations, the animated creation is as remarkably deficient
in its principal tribes.
- Sixthly.—Beyond the Indian seas, but separated from
New Guinea only by straits, we find an extensive continent
differing from the rest of the world in all its physical peculiarities.
Terra Australis or Austral Asia according to the
best informed observers, is peculiar and striking in its geological
aspects It is equally remarkable for the singularity
o f its vegetation. In no part of the world has the animal
creation so distinct and peculiar a character.
Seventhly.—The southern extremities of America and of
Africa contain countries situated under a similar climate.
The temperate parts of these continents, as well as that of
Terra Australis, are thus so many ipSulated regions. In all
we may expect, to find peculiar tribes.
: I shall how attempt a general survey of the animated
tribes inhabiting their different provinces, taking them in a
different order from that to which I have enumerated them.
S ection VI.—Peculiar Observation o f each o f the great
Zoological Provinces.
v We have already observed that in each of the great botanical
provinces, the system of vegetation' there indigenous,
displays a peculiar'aspect or character of its own, which dis-*
tinguishes it from the aggregates of plants indigenous in
other parts of the world. A similar remark may be applied
to the distribution of animals ; and. 1 shall now endeavour to
‘ collect the most striking particulars which illustrate this hbf
serration, and point out its bearing on the principal sulÿect-
of my inquiries* _
■ P ^ T e r r â AustWiii ^Or Austral Asia. There is no other
extensive regiomlSo remotely separated from countries in
corresponding latitudes) as is the great island or continent
of New Holland, and there; .is no other part of the world
which has so peculiar an assemblagenf organized boiegs. This
Meat region may be said to contain within itself a particular
creation, an organized world of its own. Sooth Africa, and
the Magellanic countries, differ in their productions from the
rest of the continents »of which they are prolongations, but in
Terra Australis living nature displays a peculiar type and
new forms, which seem to deviate from the laws of co-exis-
tenoe, generally regarded as universal conditions of life.
Botanists have observed in the vegetation of this , country
a peculiar physiognomy. It • is equally, striking that many
tribes of animals indigenous in the same region, though