ST. HELENA AND ITS FAUNA 
387 
always was so. Geological evidence, says Professor Suess,* 
does not prove, nor even point to, a permanence of the great 
depths, at least in the oceans of the Atlantic type. No longer 
can we, therefore, subscribe to Dr. Wallace’s statement that 
St. Helena is necessarily what he calls a “true oceanic 
island.” The island was densely covered with a luxuriant 
forest vegetation when it was discovered in the year 1501. 
Human occupation has almost wholly destroyed this in¬ 
digenous vegetation, and with it no doubt the greater part of 
the fauna. The rich soil, no longer protected by the covering 
vegetation, has been swept away by tropical rains, leaving a 
vast expanse of bare rock or sterile clay. Fortunately the 
fauna and flora of St. Helena have received greater attention, 
than those of Ascension, and although a mere fragment only of 
what originally inhabited this area, it allows us to draw some 
conclusions as to their origin. There are neither mammals, 
amphibians nor reptiles on the island. The only indigenous 
bird is a small plover (Aegialitis sanctae-helenae), closely allied 
to a species found in South Africa. Among the invertebrates 
the beetles in particular have been carefully studied by Mr. 
T. V. Wollaston.f Out of two hundred and three species 
collected on the island, he considers one hundred and twenty- 
nine to be indigenous. Only one of these is found else¬ 
where. These species belong to thirty-nine genera, of 
which no less than twenty-five are peculiar to St. Helena, 
most of them being weevils (Rhynchophora). Since the 
greater number of weevils are woodborers, we conclude 
from this fact alone that the island once possessed a luxuriant 
forest vegetation. Many of the beetles show no close affinity 
with any existing insects. A small number only are more 
or less remotely related to European and South African 
species. These features imply, as Dr. Wallace truly remarks, 
that the beetle fauna of the island is extremely ancient, dating 
back to at least the Miocene age. Dr. Wallace acknowledges 
that at present the marine currents flow towards St. Helena 
from the region of the Cape of Good Hope; nevertheless he 
contends that in former geological periods the currents may 
* Suess, E., “ Are Ocean Depths Permanent ? ” p. 186. 
t Wollaston, T. V., “ Coleoptera Sanctae Helenae.” 
c c 2 
