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 supply 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 connected 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 region. Twenty-four distinct
species are known to inhabit it, and these are distributed with
tolerable uniformity over the islands, nine being found in Java,
ten in the Malay peninsula, eleven in Sumatra, and thirteen in
Borneo. The great man-like Orangutans 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 Gibbons or long-armed apes, and
of monkeys. The lemur-like animals, Nycticebus, Tarsius, and
Galeopithecus, are found on 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 Burma, and one into North India. With the
exception of the Orangutan, the Siamang, the Tarsius spectrum,
and the Galeopithecus, all the Malayan genera of Quadrumana are
represented in India by closely allied species, although, 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 Burma 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 represented in India by more or less closely allied
species. As an example, the Malayan bear is represented in North
India by the Tibetan bear, both of which may be seen alive at the
Zoological Society's Gardens.
The hoofed animals are twenty-two in number, of which about seven
extend into Burmahand India. All the deer are of peculiar
species, except two, which range from Malacca into India. Of the
cattle, one Indian species reaches Malacca, while the Bos sondiacus
of Java and Borneo is also found in Siam and Burma. A goat-like animal
is found in Sumatra which has its representative in India; while the
two-horned rhinoceros of Sumatra and the single-horned species of
Java, long supposed to be peculiar to these islands, are now both
ascertained to exist in Burma, Pegu, and Moulmein.
