File:Geographical distribution of animals - with a study of the relations of living and extinct faunas as elucidating the past changes of the earth's surface (1876) (14761559626).jpg

Identifier: geographicaldis01wall (find matches)
Title: Geographical distribution of animals : with a study of the relations of living and extinct faunas as elucidating the past changes of the earth's surface
Year: 1876 (1870s)
Authors: Wallace, Alfred Russel, 1823-1913
Subjects: Zoology
Publisher: London, Macmillan
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
)r()bably very ancient mammalian fauna; Avhilotlic river-hogs in the distance (Potamocliwrus edivardsii) allied toAfrican species, indicate a later immigration from the main-land than in the; case of most of the other IMammalia. Thepeculiar birds being far less generally known, we have figuredthree of them. The largest is the Kuryccros prevosli, liere classedwith the starlings, although its remarkable bill and other ))ccu-liarities render it ))r()bal)le that it should form a distinct (amily.Its colours are velvety black and rich brown with the bill of apearly grey. The bird beneath (Vanga citrvirostris) is one of thepeculi;ir Madagascar shrikes whose ))luniag(\ variegated withgreen-Mack and (ture whitJ is very conspicuous; while that in ILATK y\.
Text Appearing After Image:
\:S\: IN MADAGArSCAlt, WITH LllAUACrKUl -11- A.M.MAL.- CHAP. XI.) THE ETHIOPIAN KEGION. 27D llie right liand corner is the LciJtosoma ducolcr, a bird whichappears to be intermediate between such very distinct familiesas tli(» cuclvoos and tlie 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-shaped))lant on the left is the travellers tree (Urania speciosa), one ofthe pecidiar forms of vegetation in this marvellous island. Ecptlks.—These present some very curious features, compara-tively few 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—Herpdodryas, Philodryas, and Heterodon—only found elsewhere in South and North America. ThePsammophidie, which are both African and Indian, a

Note About Images