MEDITERRANEAN SUBREGION. 1 n zo0geography, that subdivision of the Palearctie Legion whieh includes the basin of the :Mediter ranean Sea. Asia Minor. Persia. and the south coast of Asia as far as the Indus. The Canary, Azores, and Madeira islands are also included. It is bounded on the north by the line of moun tains which extend from the Pyrenees to the Himalayas, and on the south by the Atlas _Moun tains, the deserts of Northwestern Africa and Cen tral Arabia, and east of that by the Indian (Mean. It is a region of subtropical warmth. and except the north shore of the _Mediterranean is largely treeless, arid, and elevated. Within re cent times the Mediterranean has been of much extent, enabling animals to pass freely across its basin at two or more places; and lunch of the country now barren was formerly wooded. It is not surprising to find, therefore, a general simi larity and great variety of life throughout the entire area. Among the possible indigenes of this
subregion were the horse. camel. and some other now wholly domesticated animals. Of the few remaining dm recently extinct mammals of the larger sort, the Barbary ape. fallow deer. aoudad. n1°1115)11 (of Sardinia), and civets are most prom inent. Several gazelles and' antelopes, do not range south of the Sahara, the wild and many small animals are peculiar. :Nlost of the North European birds pass across it in their migration to and from their winter homes; but it has many resident species of its own, especially among the birds of prey and the game birds. See DisTRIm"nioN Or ANIMALS': and con sult the accompanying maps, and the authorities there cited.