Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
their floras with any approach to accuracy. At present we have no such complete knowledge
of the botany of the several islands of the Archipelago; and it is only by such striking phe-
nomena as the occurrence of northern and even European genera on the summits of the
Javanese mountains that we can prove the former connexion of that island with the Asiatic
continent. With land animals, however, the case is very different. Their means of passing a
wide expanse of sea are far more restricted. Their distribution has been more accurately
studied, and we possess a much more complete knowledge of such groups as mammals and
birds in most of the islands, than we do of the plants. It is these two classes which will sup-
ply us with most of our facts as to the geographical distribution of organized beings in this
region.
The number of Mammalia known to inhabit the Indo-Malay region is very considerable,
exceeding 170 species. With the exception of the bats, none of these have any regular means
of passing arms of the sea many miles in extent, and a consideration of their distribution
must therefore greatly assist us in determining, whether these islands have ever been con-
nected with each other or with the continent since the epoch of existing species.
The Quadrumana or monkey tribe form one of the most characteristic features of this re-
gion. Twenty-four distinct species are known to inhabit it, and these are distributed with tol-
erable uniformity over the islands, nine being found in Java, ten in the Malay peninsula, el-
even in Sumatra, and thirteen in Borneo. The great man-like Orang-utans are found only in
Sumatra and Borneo; the curious Siamang (next to them in size) in Sumatra and Malacca;
the long-nosed monkey only in Borneo; while every island has representatives of the Gib-
bons or long-armed apes, and of monkeys. The lemur-like animals, Nycticebus, Tarsius, and
Galeopithecus, are found in all the islands.
Seven species found on the Malay peninsula extend also into Sumatra, four into Borneo,
and three into Java; while two range into Siam and Burmah, and one into North India. With
the exception of the Orang-utan, the Siamang, the Tarsius spectrum, and the Galeopithecus,
all the Malayan genera of Quadrumana are represented in India by closely allied species, al-
though, owing to the limited range of most of these animals, so few are absolutely identical.
Of Carnivora, thirty-three species are known from the Indo-Malay region, of which about
eight are found also in Burmah and India. Among these are the tiger, leopard, a tiger-cat,
civet, and otter; while out of the twenty genera of Malayan Carnivora, thirteen are represen-
ted in India by more or less closely allied species. As an example, the Malayan bear is rep-
resented in North India by the Thibetan bear, both of which animals may be seen alive at the
Zoological Society's Gardens.
