have mentioned. Each of the principal geographical districts
would be found to possess, not only peculiar species,
but appropriate genera, or families.
The distribution of the crocodile tribe has been already
adverted to. Among the other genera which belong to the
Saurian family, Africa possesses the monitors, and most of
the chamaeleons, one species of the latter belonging to the
Moluccas. The iguanas and jeckos are more numerous, and
more widely dispersed; some species are natives of South
America, others of different parts of the old continent. The
serpents are extensively spread; but the warm climates of
America claim the rattle-snake tribe, the csecilise, or naked
serpents, as well as the sub-genera termed ophisaurus and
amphisbsena, and several species of boa.*
In the -frog tribe, the pipa belongs to South America;
and it has been observed by Cuvier, that some of the testu-
dines and lacertm of the same regions resemble these animals
in certain particulars of structure.
The reptiles of New Holland are lik ewise of very peculiar
character.
Section V III.— Concluding Remarks on the distribution o f
tellurian Animals.
The preceding facts relating to the distribution of species,
afford some results which deserve consideration.
The remark made long ago by the illustrious Count ^de
Buffon is abundantly confirmed. In the extreme north, where
the two great continents approximate, and an almost connected
land extends from the west of Europe eastward"
through America and Greenland, several species - of animals
appear to be common to the borders of either continent,
such as the Polar bear, and other quadrupeds of the
bear and dog kinds. The number o f species common to
different continents even in this northern tract, is evidently
* Cuvier, Regne Animal. See also a variety of memoirs on crocodiles, &c. in
the Annals of the Museum, by the same author.
very much less than it was supposed to be by Buffon, Pennant,
and othej naturalists,'qf^the last century. With the
foregoing exceptional, and without any others, as far as zoological
researches, hav,e,;y‘et gone, it maybe asserted, that no
individual species are common to distant .region#» In parallel
climates analogous tribes replace each o th er; sometimes,
but not frequently the same genus is found in two separate
continents ^.butUhd species which- are natives of one region
are not identical',%ith corresponding races indigenous -in'the
opposite hemisphere.
A similar- result- arises when we compare the three" great
intertropical regions, as well* as^dhe Extreme spaces-’>of the
three ‘great continents which advance into the temperate, climate
m the southern hemisphere.;!^
.g-Thus the «tribes ;ofi simise/of the* dog andscat kinds, of pa^
chyderms, including, elephants;;tapirs, »rhinoceroses, hogs,
of bats,-of saurian dnd opludian irfeptiles, aStwell as of birds
and other-terrene^ animals, ares mil -different in the three
greaf continents..in In the: lower departments^Jo^the mammi-
ferous family, we find,- that the bruta or edentatarof,, Africa
are differently organized from, those of America; and these
again, from the tribes foundnn the Malayan archipelago sand
Terra ■ Australis, 5 sd
The general result to which all these observations ! tend is
('Confirmed by a survey*;©! phenomena connected’ with the zor
ology-of islands. This will_ appear from the two following
general facts»
u-First, Small islands,*;‘situated sat a remote distance, from
continents, are in general altogether destitute ;©£ land quadrupeds,
except such'as appear to have been conveyedhy men
or to have found their way by accidental means. Kerguelten’s
land* or the Isle of Desolation, Juan Fernandez* New Shetland,
and other antarctic isles, the Gallapagos, the Islas de
Lobos contained* when discovered, no mammiferous inhabitants
except seals. In the groupes of islands» in the great
southern ocean* .though many of them are)©f great, extent
and remarkable fertility, abounding : in .. luxuriant vegetation,
no warm-blooded animals were found! except a few species
which appear to have been conveyed, or to have found their
way from the Malayan archipelago;