ch have survived the partial
submergence of a very extensive island; and the entire absence of
non-aerial mammalia may be due, either to this island having never been
actually united to Madagascar, or to its having since undergone so much
submergence as to have led to the extinction of such mammals as may once
have inhabited it. The birds and reptiles, however, though few in number,
are very interesting, and throw some further light on the past history of
the Seychelles.

_Birds of the Seychelles._--Fifteen indigenous land-birds are known to
inhabit the group, thirteen of which are peculiar species,[106] belonging
to genera which occur also in Madagascar or Africa. The genera which are
more peculiarly Indian are,--Copsychus and Hypsipetes, also found in
Madagascar; and Palaeornis, which has species in Mauritius and Rodriguez,
as well as one on the continent of Africa. A black parrot (Coracopsis),
congeneric with two species that inhabit Madagascar and with one that is
peculiar to the Comoros; and a beautiful red-headed blue pigeon
(_Alectoraenas pulcherrimus_) allied to those of Madagascar and Mauritius,
but very distinct, are the most remarkable species characteristic of this
group of islands.

_Reptiles and Amphibia of the Seychelles._--The reptiles and amphibia are
rather numerous and very interesting, indicating clearly that the islands
can hardly be classed as oceanic. There are seven species of lizards, three
being peculiar to the islands, while the others have rather a wide range.
The first is a chameleon--defenceless {431} slow-moving lizards, especially
abundant in Madagascar, from which no less than eighteen species are now
known, about the same number as on the continent of Africa. The Seychelles
species (_Chamaeleon tigris_) also occurs at Zanzibar. The next are skinks
(Scincidae), small ground-lizards with a wide distribution in the Eastern
hemisphere. Two species are however peculiar to the islands--_Mabuia
seychellensis_ and _M. wrightii_. The other peculiar species is one of the
geckoes (Geckotidae) named _Aeluronyx seychellensis_, and there are also
three other geckoes, _Phelsuma madagascarensis_, _Gehyra mutilata_ and
_Hemidactylus frenatus_, the two latter having a wide distribution in the
tropical regions of both hemispheres. These lizards, clinging as they do to
trees and timber, are exceedingly liable to be carried in ships from one
country to another, and I am told by Dr. Guenther that some are fo