G. GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY. 213 



G. GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY. 



GEANDIDIER ON THE ZOOLOGY OF MADAGASCAR. 



M. Grandidier, the well-known explorer of Madagascar, 

 and one to whom we owe so many novelties in natural histo- 

 ry, has lately published in the Revue Scientifique an abstract 

 of his experiences in the island. He calls especial attention 

 to the animals of the country, both recent and fossil, remark- 

 ing upon the peculiar forms of quadrumana, such as indris, 

 lemurs, chirogales, etc. The fossil vertebrates are not less in- 

 teresting. Among these he mentions a small hippopotamus 

 found in the quaternary sands of the south coast, and the 

 JEpyornis, of which three species have been detected among 

 the specimens brought by him, and submitted to Professor 

 Edwards for examination. 



He calls attention to the remarkable fact, which is also ad- 

 verted to by Hartlaub and Edwards, of the absence of any 

 species of woodpeckers, and the presence of black parrots, in 

 which, as well as in some other matters, there is a close anal- 

 ogy between the faunas of Madagascar and of Australasia, 

 and little or no relationship to that of the adjacent continent 

 of Africa. Indeed, Professor Edwards is of the opinion that 

 at some period, geologically not very remote, Madagascar 

 and New Zealand must have been united by land which is 

 now below the surface of the ocean, the close relationship be- 

 tween the JEpyornis of Madagascar and Dinornis of New 

 Zealand rendering this very evident. He finds a source of 

 congratulation to the inhabitants of Madagascar in the entire 

 absence of venomous serpents, none of the comparatively few 

 species of snakes having poisonous properties. 8 B, May 

 11,1872,1083. 



VISIT OF ABBE DAVID TO THIBET. 



Among those who have devoted themselves to making col- 

 lections of natural history in foreign countries few have been 

 so successful as the Abbe David, of Paris. This gentleman, 

 in the course of the last few years, has been so fortunate in 

 exploring certain portions of Western China and elsewhere 



