_Birds._--In birds the Ethiopian region is by no means so strikingly peculiar, many of these having been able to pass the ancient barriers which so long limited the range of mammalia. {254}It is, however, sufficiently rich, possessing 54 families of land birds, besides a few genera whose position is not well ascertained, and which may constitute distinct families. Of these 6 are peculiar, Musophagidæ (the plantain eaters); Coliidæ (the colies); Leptosomidæ, allied to the cuckoos; Irrisoridæ, allied to the hoopoes; and Serpentaridæ, allied to the hawks. Only one Passerine family is peculiar--Paictidæ, while most of the other tropical regions possess several; but _Euryceros_ and _Buphaga_, here classed with the Sturnidæ, ought, perhaps, to form two more. It has, however, many peculiar genera, especially among the fruit-thrushes, Pycnonotidæ; flycatchers, Muscicapidæ; shrikes, Lanidæ; crows, Corvidæ; starlings, Sturnidæ; and weaver-birds, Ploceidæ; the latter family being very characteristic of the region. It is also rich in barbets, Megalæmidæ (7 peculiar genera); cuckoos, Cuculidæ; rollers, Coraciidæ; bee-eaters, Meropidæ; hornbills, Bucerotidæ; and goat-suckers, Caprimulgidæ. It is poor in parrots and rather so in pigeons; but it abounds in _Pterocles_ and _Francolinus_, genera of Gallinæ, and possesses 4 genera of the peculiar group of the guinea-fowls, forming part of the pheasant family. It abounds in vultures, eagles, and other birds of prey, among which is the anomalous genus _Serpentarius_, the secretary-bird, constituting a distinct family. Many of the most remarkable forms are confined to Madagascar and the adjacent islands, and will be noticed in our account of that sub-region. _Reptiles._--Of the reptiles there are 4 peculiar Ethiopian families;--3 of snakes, Rachiodontidæ, Dendraspidæ, and Atractaspidæ and 1 of lizards, Chamæsauridæ. Psammophidæ (desert snakes) are abundant, as are Lycodontidæ (fanged ground-snakes), and Viperidæ (vipers). The following genera of snakes are peculiar or highly characteristic:--_Leptorhynchus_, _Rhamnophis_, _Herpetethiops_ and _Grayia_ (Colubridæ); _Hopsidrophis_ and _Bucephalus_ (Dendrophidæ); _Langalia_ (Dryophidæ); _Pythonodipsas_ (Dipsadidæ); _Boedon_, _Lycophidion_, _Holuropholis_, _Simocephalus_ and _Lamprophis_ (Lycodontidæ); _Hortulia_ and _Sanzinia_ (Pythonidæ); _Cyrptophis_, _Elapsoidea_ and _Poecilophis_ (Elapidæ); and _Atheris_ (Viperidæ). The following genera {255}of lizards are the most characteristic:--_Monotrophis_ (Lepidosternidæ); _Cordylus_, _Pseudocordylus_, _Platysaurus_, _Cordylosaurus_, _Pleurostichus_, _Saurophis_ and _Zonurus_ (Zonuridæ); _Sphænops_, _Scelotes_, _Sphænocephalus_ and _Sepsina_ (Sepidæ); _Pachydactylus_ (Geckotidæ); _Agama_ (Agamidæ); and _Chameleon_ (Chameleonidæ). Of tortoises, _Cynyxis_, _Pyxis_ and _Chersina_ (Testudinidæ), and _Cycloderma_ (Trionychidæ) are the most characteristic.