PDF - Wallace Online

196 GEOGRAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. [part IV.
and Soricidis from the Upper Miocene, the former as large as a
panther ; Tylodon, of small size, from the Upper Eocene ; and
Palcconydis from the Lower Eocene, also small and showing a
very great antiquity for this family, if really belonging to it.
Family 26.—PKOTELID^. (1 Genus, 1 Species.)
General Distribution.
Neotropical Nearctic Pal^arotic Ethiopian Oriental Australian
Sub-regions. SaB-REoioNS. Sub-regions. Sub-regions. Sob-reoions. Sub-regions.
The curious Proteles or Aard-wolf, a highly-modified form of
hysena, approaching the ichneumons, and feeding on white
ants and carrion, is peculiar to South Africa.
Family 27.—HY^NID^. (1 Genus, 3 Species.)
General Distribution.
Neotropical Nearctic Pal^arctic Ethiopian Oriental Australian
Sub-regions. Sub-regions. Sub-regions. Sub-regions. Sub-regions. Sub-regions.
2 1.2.3 -
The Hyenas are characteristically Ethiopian, to which region
two of the species are confined. The third, Hycena striata,
ranges over all the open country of India to the foot of the
Himalayas, and through Persia, Asia Minor, and North Africa.
Its fossil remains have been found in France.
Extind Species.—ThQ cave hytena {H. speJcna) occurs abun-
dantly in the caverns of this country and of Central Europe,
and is supposed to be most nearly allied to the 11. crocuta of
South Africa. Another species is found in some parts of France.
The earliest known true hysenas occur in the Pliocene formation
in France, in the Eed Crag (Older Pliocene) of England, and in
the Upper Miocene of the Siwahk hills. In the Miocene
period in Europe, quite distinct genera are found, such as
Hycenictis and Lycmna from the Upper Miocene of Greece
;