Fauna

Fauna, a term employed to designate animals collectively, or those of a particular country, or of a particular geological period. Thus, we speak of the fauna of Great Britain, the recent fauna, the fossil fauna, the fauna of the Eocene period or formation, &c. The term bears the same relation to the animal kingdom that Flora does to the vegetable. Its derivation is from the mythological fauns, regarded as the patrons of wild animals. In the fauna of any country are included only those animals which are indigenous to it, and not those which have been introduced.