The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-05
RANGE OF THE WILD ANIMALS.
MONKEYS IN EVERY CONTINENT
SAVE AUSTRALIA.
Polar Bears stick to the Far NOrth-Habi-
tat OF Elephants. Ostriches and Elder
Ducks Growing Less - The Skunk
Confined to America-NarrOw Range
OF the Famous Birds OF Paradise.

Confined to America--Narr0w Range
OF the Famous Birds OF Paradise.
Our more or less intelligent friend, the
monkey, is found in every continent except
Australia, but his largest habitat il in
Africa.
He ia confined in North America chiefly
to the long peninsula from Mexico 10 Pan
anna that untes the two western continents.
He is found in Europe only in the extreme
southern part Of Spain, along the Strait
| OF Gibraltar. where tourists who have time
to wander among the forests overlooking
| the sea will discover him leaping from
branch 20 branch as he does in tropical
| Africa.
| Monkeys are very numerous along the
! northwest coast OF South America, but are
not found west Of the Andes from northern
Peru to the south end OF the continent.
Their home in South America is chiefly
in the forests Of Venezuela throughout
the great Amazon basin and along the
fuvial systems of the upper half of the
Paraguay and the Parana rivers. A little
south of the junction Of these two rivers
they disappear and the greater part Of
Uruguay and Argentina regard them as
curiosity to be exhibited in travelling
shows.
The monkey lives in the forests Of nine
tenths Of Africa, from the mountains OF
the Atlas ranges in the north to the Orange
River OF the south: and is also seen in great
numbers and variety throughout India,
Burma and Cochin China, the islands cf
the Indian archipelago and parts Of south
Al, Stran To nv
he draws the line at New Guinea and the
neghboring tropical coasts Of northern
Australia, where he is conspicuous for his
absence. though the conditions there seem
TO be favorable for his prosperity.
The Indian elephant Is found throughout
that peninsula and also in Burma. SIAM
and the French East Indies, but his range
among the islands of the archipelago is
confined to Sumatra and Borneo. He ia
not known in Java.
There seems to be no climatic reason
why he should not have appeared on the
other islands Of the Fast Indies, His
home in Asia extends about IT. Of latitude
+ further north than that of his African cousin,
who was once numerous almOng the Atlas
! Mountains, near the Mediterranean; but,
having been exterminated there, his most
northern range is only about IS north
of the equator.
He roams through the Soudan and the
whole of Central Africa, from the neighbor-
hood of TimbulStu and Lake Chad as far
south az the Tropic of Capricorn in South
Africa. Not many years ago the African
elephant was browsing on the site of what
liz now the city of Durham, on the South
| African coast, but he was hunted 40 per
sstenty that he has entirely disappeared
in the southern part Of Africa and il now
| found not nearer than 500 miles north Of
| Cape Town.
The polar bear will not wander very
| far from the ice oceans of the north The
] result il that his habitat is extremely mar
row. though it girdles the world in the
Arctic regions
He wanders along all the northern coasts
| Of the continents and the shores OF the Arctic
| islands Peary has seen him on the edge
| Of the most northern land yet discovered
around the north coast OF Greenland
If we were TO isit'lCcand for look at
| the polar bear we should have TO go to
| the north coast to see him. The waters
washing the other coasts Of the island APP
pear 20 him a little too warm for comfort
| This is natural for the south coasts are
! under the influence of the warmer waters
of the Atlantic, and the polar bear cannot
! understand why any one should enjoy rfa
| in such an uncomfortably hot climate.
! We have the skunk all To ourselves in
North America He lives in Canada as
| far north rs the upper part OF the Macken-
zie River, and is distinctively a North
American animal.
He is found throughout our broad do
main from Portland Me, to Oregon and
from Florida to Los Angeles. For some
reason he seems TO have prejudice against
Nova Scotia and is not known in New
foundland
The skunk is really very respectable
beast and cannot ne severely blamed Tor
making himself obnoxious to his enemies,
Some bold eXpcrimenters assert that the
skunk is very good eating.
There are just four regions in which the
wild African ostrich is now found. lie
lives in considerable numbers IN ARABIA
where he has been little hunted. In AFRICA
his most northern habitat is the Soudan
and the sout hern part of the Sahara from
the Red Sea almost to the Atlantic Ocean,
He does not live in the excessively moist
regions of Central Africa, but in the drier
countries between the Indian Ocean and
the Nile he is found in considerable num-
beers His fourth home in Africa is in the
great dry districts of German West Africa,
from the Atlantic Ocean more than hali
way across the continent.
He was long ago driven out of the thirst
lands of Cape Colony, for hunters became
too numerous for him. The fact that wild
ostriches are always killed to obtain their
pumage has unfortunately caused great
diminution among them; and the prospect
il that in time they will he entirely replaced
by the domcst iCated ostrich now living on
the ost rich farms of Cape Colony far south
of any Of the regions where the wild bird
in found.
The habitat of the cider duck whose
down is 81 highly valued, practically COIN
cideS with that OF the polar bear II IL
found on all Arctic coasts, but also lives
considerably south Of the southern limits
Of the polar bear. The time was when the
elder duck girdled all the northern coast
lines Of the world with its myriad nests
but the bird has been so meTCit ssly hunted
that it has now disappeared from tho usands
of heetling cliffs along the sea where il was
formerly known
Probably no famous bird has a smaller
habitat than the bird of paradise, whose
beautiful feathers are So highly priced in
the millinery trade. No one knows why the
varic ties Of this beautiful bird are confined
to the island of New Guinea and the neigh
boring coasts of Australia, There are many
other islands not far away where the con-
ditiOns would seem to he equally favorable
to their existence, but they are not found
among them and If we should ever sc n
hunter of the bird of paradise We would
know that he was q nalv" Of New Guinea
or the nelghburinS mainland of Australia,
or had visit I'd these regions.
hN9rylplV has hoard that the ppNry