The geographical distribution of animals, with a study of the relations ...

chap, xi.] THE ETHIOPIAN REGION." 281peculiar species of Pratincola, Hypsipetcs, Phedina, Tchitrea,Zosteraps, Foudia, Collocalia, and Coracopsis ;while Mauritius hasa very peculiar form of dove of the sub-genus Trocaza ;an Alectrainas,extinct within the last thirty years ;Oriental genus of parroquets, Palceornis.and a species of theThe small and remoteisland of Rodriguez has another Palceornis, as well asa peculiarFoudia, and a Drymceca of apparently Indian affinity.Coming to the Seychelle Islands, far to the north, we find theonly mammal an Indian species of bat (Pteropus edivardsii).the twelve land-birds all but one are peculiar species, but all belongto genera found also in Madagascar, except one—a peculiar speciesof Palmomis. This is an Oriental genus, but found also in severalMascarene Islands and on the African continent. A species ofblack parrot {Coracopsistype {Foudia seychellarum)with Madagascar.There are also two peculiar pigeons—a shortwingedTurtur and an Alcctrwnas.Most ofOfbarklayi) and a weaver bird of peculiarshow, however, a decided connectionthe birds of the Comoro Islands are Madagascar species,only two being African.Five are peculiar, belonging to thegenera Nectarinia, Zosterops, Dicrurus, Foudia, and Alectrosnas.Reptiles are scarce. There appear to be no snakes in Mauritiusand Bourbon, though some African species are said to befound in the Seychelle Islands. Lizards are fairly represented.Mauritiushas CryptoMepharus, an Australian genus of Gymnopthalmidse; Hemidactylus (a wide- spread genus) ; Percpus(Oriental and Australian)—both belonging to the Geckotidae.Bourbon has Heteropus, a Moluccan and Australian genus ofScincidae; Phelsuma (Geckotidae), and Chameleo, both found alsoin Madagascar ; as well as Pyxis, one of the tortoises. TheSeychelles have Theconyx, a peculiar genus of Geckotidae, andChameleo. Gigantic land-tortoises, which formerly inhabitedmost of the Mascarene Islands, now only survive inAldabra, asmall island north of the Seychelles. These will be noticedagain further on. Amphibia seem only to be recorded from theSeychelles, where two genera of tree-frogs of the family Polypedatidaeare found ; one {Megalixalus) peculiar, the other{Bappia) found also in Madagascar and Africa.Yol. I.—20