North America, and the nearest ally of the celebrated Sieboldia, or so-called gigantic salamander of Japan, being undoubtedly the Protonopsis horrida of the United States.[1] The antilope (A. crispa), is also probably more nearly allied to the American Haplocerus americanus, than to any other form of the group. With these exceptions, and that of Canis procyonides—an animal, according to Herr Von Schrenck's elaborate investigations, hardly differing from Canis in its dentition sufficiently for generic separation, but certainly belonging to a different sub-group, and remarkably abnormal in general external facies—the forms show, certainly, very great resemblance to those of Northern Europe. Amoorland, in fact, is inseparaable from that great zoological region to which the rest of Northern Asia, Europe, and Africa, north of the Atlas, alike belong, and to which the name "Palæarctic" has been appropriately applied, as it embraces the whole northern portion of the Old World. Agassiz's ingenious parallel,[2] in which he attempts to prove that the races of mankind correspond in their variations with those of the zoologies of the countries occupied by them, completely fails in this instance. Though we might perhaps admit the existence of a circumpolar zoological region, occupied by a race of men ethnologically distinct, the areas tenanted by two very different races—the Caucasians of the west, and the Mand-choos of the east—will admit of no separation on zoological grounds. This has already been abundantly shown to be the case, as regards the classes of birds and reptiles.[3] Temminck and Siebold have long ago enlarged on the similarity of the Fauna of Japan to that of Europe. Waterhouse's Tables for the geographical division of the Rodents, which he has worked out so laboriously, bring Europe and Northern Asia together. Von Schrenck's evidence, we maintain, as given in the present work, tends altogether in the same direction.
It remains, in conclusion, that we should call attention to the excellent way in which Herr von Schrenck has worked out the materials he has collected. The descriptions given of the new and doubtful species are in all cases very full, and descend to the most minute particulars. Great care has been devoted to tracing the range of each individual species throughout Northern Asia, where facts were ascertainable, upon which such deductions could be drawn. The native names applied to the animals by the different tribes are all stated, and many interesting details are given concerning their habits. In short, the volume appears to be no less creditable to the author than it has already been shown to be to the Government to whose fostering care science is indebted for this very acceptable contribution to our knowledge of geographical zoology.
- ↑ The relations between the Floræ of N. E. Asia and America are, we believe much more intimate.
- ↑ See the introduction to Nolt and Gliddon's "Types of Mankind."
- ↑ Sclater in "Journ, Proc Linn. Soc. Zool.," ii , p. 134; Günther, in "Proc. Zool. Soc.," 1858, p. 373.
lately been obtained by the engineers surveying the boundary-line of British Columbia, and are now deposited in the British Museum.
