as he informs me, been determined to be
the same species by Dr. Peters of Berlin.

[160] "Additional Notes on the Land-shells of the Seychelles Islands." By
Geoffrey Nevill, C.M.Z.S. _Proc. Zool. Soc._ 1869, p. 61.

[161] In Maillard's _Notes sur l'Isle de Reunion_, a considerable number of
mammalia are given as "wild," such as _Lemur mongoz_ and _Centetes
setosus_, both Madagascar species, with such undoubtedly introduced animals
as a wild cat, a hare, and several rats and mice. He also gives two species
of frogs, seven lizards, and two snakes. The latter are both Indian species
and certainly imported, as are most probably the frogs. Legouat, who
resided some years in the island nearly two centuries ago, and who was a
closer observer of nature, mentions numerous birds, large bats,
land-tortoises, and lizards, but no other reptiles or venomous animals
except scorpions. We may be pretty sure, therefore, that the land-mammalia,
snakes, and frogs, now found wild, have all been introduced. Of lizards, on
the other hand, there are several species, some peculiar to the island,
others common to Africa and the other Mascarene Islands. The following list
by Prof. Dumeril is given in Maillard's work:--

_Platydactylus cepedianus._
" _ocellatus._
_Hemidactylus peronii._
" _mutilatus._
_Hemidactylus frenatus._
_Gongylus bojerii._
_Ablepharus peronii._

Four species of chameleon are now recorded from Bourbon and one from
Mauritius (J. Reay Greene, M.D., in _Pop. Science Rev._ April, 1880), but
as they are not mentioned by the old writers, it is pretty certain that
these creatures are recent introductions, and this is the more probable as
they are favourite domestic pets.

Darwin informed me that in a work entitled _Voyage a l'Isle de France, par
un Officier du Roi_, published in 1770, it is stated that a fresh-water
fish had been introduced from Batavia and had multiplied. The writer also
says (p. 170): "_On a essaye, mais sans succces, d'y transporter des
grenouilles qui mangent les oeufs que les moustigues deposent sur les eaux
stagnantes._" It thus appears that there were then no frogs on the island.

[162] That the dodo is really an abortion from a more perfect type, and not
a direct development from some lower form of wingless bird, is shown by its
possessing a keeled sternum, though the keel is exceedingly reduced, being
only three-quarters of an inch deep in a length of seven inche